Healthy Choices - Healthy Lifestyle
Via the Washington Post
As e-cigarettes have skyrocketed in popularity among teenagers in the past two years, pediatricians report seeing teens who behave less like tobacco users and more like patients with substance-abuse disorders. Some young people have resorted to stealing from their parents or selling e-cigarette paraphernalia to support their habits, addiction treatment specialists said. And even though many teens assume e-cigarettes are safe, some turn up with signs of nicotine toxicity, a condition previously seen in young children who accidentally ingested nicotine gum. Others are reporting respiratory problems. “We were thinking about vapes just like we thought about cigarettes. Over time we realized no, no. This is something really different,” said Sharon Levy, director of the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. She and other doctors said they believe they are witnessing for the first time the damage that repeated exposure to high levels of nicotine wreaks on young bodies. Although the phenomenon has yet to be described in medical literature, anecdotal evidence from leading addiction specialists in Boston and New York and from families grappling with adolescent e-cigarette addiction points to previously unseen consequences of use among teens. Several families have sued Juul, accusing it of causing nicotine addiction in their children and describing extreme addiction symptoms. Read the full article here.
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By Jonah Hinebaugh, Staff Writer Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Sarasota county has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of students using vaporizers and e-cigarettes. Attorney General Ashley Moody visited Riverview high school to meet with educators in the area to discuss the issue as part of a statewide fact-gathering initiative. Across the Sarasota County School District, the number of incidents involving ninth-grade students with vaporizers and e-cigarettes rose to 138 during the 2018-19 school year. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said vaping seems to be the most prevalent source of an addictive substance found in schools statewide. During her visit to Riverview High School Thursday, as part of her statewide fact-gathering mission on the issue, Moody said a proactive approach is required before statistics rise higher. “What I’m hearing is that we have done a poor job of educating people, kids and parents, before kids take their first hit of a vape,” Moody said. Prevention, she said, “will make it a lot easier to battle against this addictive substance. Read more about the meeting with the Attorney General here. For Immediate Release: July 15, 2019
Statement From: Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs - Food and Drug Administration Norman E. "Ned" Sharpless MD Late last week, a U.S. District Court judge in Maryland issued a decision that, among other things, requires makers and importers of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and certain other tobacco products like cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah to submit applications for their currently marketed products to the agency within 10 months. This court decision comes at a time when I, like many others, are tremendously concerned about the rising use of e-cigarettes among our nation’s youth and especially the potential for them to become traditional cigarette smokers. We cannot allow the next generation of young people to become addicted to nicotine because of e-cigarettes. I am all too aware of the staggering toll inflicted on the public health by tobacco products. As someone who has dedicated my life to reducing the public health burden and suffering caused by cancer, the importance of preventing youth addiction to nicotine rings especially true to me. The FDA stands ready to accelerate the review of e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products. And we remain committed to tackling the epidemic of youth vaping using all available regulatory tools at our disposal. We will continue to take vigorous enforcement actions aimed at ensuring e-cigarettes and other tobacco products aren’t being marketed to, or sold to, kids. We will continue expanding our highly successful education efforts, such as “The Real Cost” campaign, to educate youth about the dangers of using tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. And we will continue to implement the policies necessary to keep e-cigarettes and all tobacco products out of the hands of America’s kids. Read the entire statement from the Food and Drug Administration here. KNOW THE RISKS. TAKE ACTION. PROTECT OUR KIDS. From the Surgeon Generals Advisory Paper: "I, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, VADM Jerome Adams, am emphasizing the importance of protecting our children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction and associated health risks by immediately addressing the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use. The recent surge in e-cigarette use among youth, which has been fueled by new types of e-cigarettes that have recently entered the market, is a cause for great concern. We must take action now to protect the health of our nation’s young people." Read the full report here. By Sarah Nelson, Staff Writer Gainesville Sun Commissioner Ken Cornell of Alachua Countyspoke highly of the new ordinance, calling the use of e-cigarettes among kids an “epidemic.” Alachua County is now the first county in the state to raise the tobacco-buying age to 21. The new ordinance will be enforced in all areas of the county, and applies to all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, vaping products and liquid nicotine devices. Each municipality will have the opportunity to back out of the ordinance at any time. Jerry Brewington, senior planner for the county’s growth management office, said the ordinance is aimed at stopping the sale of tobacco products. In other words, those under 21 won’t be penalized for smoking. Many members of the nonprofit Tobacco Free Alachua County attended the meeting, saying the region should be the leader in phasing out youth tobacco use. The ordinance passed 5-0 and will take effect in nine months. Commissioner Ken Cornell spoke highly of the new ordinance, calling the use of e-cigarettes among kids an “epidemic.” “We’re really happy,” Megan Hendricks, an Alachua County PTA member, said after the vote. “This will have a positive impact on our children.” The county banned the sale of tobacco to those under 18 in 2013, with the rule extended to include e-cigarettes a few months later. Visit Gainesville Sun for more information. TOBACCO IMPACTS ON OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT By: Tracy DeCubellis, Gilchrist County Community Health Advocate Around the United States, many recreation areas such as beaches, parks, and other nature and recreational areas have attempted to stem the tide of environmental damage caused by tobacco waste by creating tobacco free areas. Many people tend to think of tobacco in terms of secondhand smoke, which is important to be sure, but it is not often that the impact of those cigarette butts, e-cigarette waste, snuff and snus pouches, and other tobacco residue is actually having on natural areas and wildlife when people use them in natural settings. It is a well-known fact that tobacco products contain a variety of toxins like nicotine, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde, arsenic, and a variety of other chemicals. They do not disappear when someone is finished using a tobacco product and they throw it on the ground. Instead, the toxins that remain in the product are deposited on the ground. Did you know that cigarette butts are not biodegradable? All of those cigarette butts that are thrown on the ground stay there, polluting the environment. The sad fact is that cigarette butts are the number one source of beach pollution around the world (1). In fact, only about 10% of all cigarette butts are actually thrown away or put into ashtrays (2). This is an issue that should be seriously considered, especially areas that have rivers, springs, beaches and wildlife or natural areas used by the public. These areas can be a tremendous resource for the community and the state, but what happens if tobacco trash is littered in those areas? Animals such as birds and fish have been shown to eat tobacco trash, like cigarette butts, and they have been discovered in the stomachs of animals (3). Additionally, a study was done to find out the impact of a few cigarette butts on surrounding marine environments. It was discovered that putting just one cigarette butt into a liter of water had the effect of killing half of the fish that were exposed to it (4). If healthy rivers, springs, and natural areas is an important issue to you, consider ways to get involved to help work toward a Florida free from tobacco waste. References: QuitDoc Research and Education Foundation (QuitDoc) coordinated a statewide survey to study the attitudes of adult Floridians on tobacco issues that affect children. The survey was conducted because of a growing concern among parents that they are unable to completely protect their children from the risks of tobacco use. The survey assessed public support for policies that would help to reduce those risks. The results of the February 2015 poll conducted by Republic Polling, a Delaware public opinion polling firm with offices in Florida, revealed strong support for new rules to protect children from secondhand smoke exposure in outdoor public places. A remarkable 72% of the respondents felt that local governments should have the right to prohibit smoking in public places wherever children may be present, such as parks and playgrounds. In addition, a substantial majority – 65% of respondents - believed that smoking should be prohibited in outdoor eating areas. “Tobacco prevention groups have clearly done a good job educating Floridians on the risks of secondhand smoke,” said Dr. Kirk Voelker, a Pulmonologist and Co-Founder of QuitDoc. “77% of those surveyed believe that secondhand smoke is very harmful to children. However, nearly 4 out of every 10 middle school students still reported exposure to secondhand smoke in the 2014 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, including 19.0% that reported exposure to secondhand smoke in a public place. This public smoking makes it very hard for parents to completely protect their children.” When asked about specific solutions to address this issue, an overwhelming 70% of those surveyed favored new rules to prohibit the use of tobacco products in state parks and beaches, with 54% strongly in favor of such a policy. Similarly, 69% of respondents favored new rules restoring the rights of local governments to pass their own rules regarding outdoor smoking in municipal parks, playgrounds, and beaches, with 50% strongly in favor. Trying to protect children from secondhand smoke exposure in public has been made more complicated by The Florida Clean Indoor Air Act of 2003. “While the law was designed to create smoke-free indoor workplaces, the statute includes a clause regulating local communities that prevents them from taking any additional steps to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in outdoor venues” added Dr. Voelker. “Our survey results demonstrate that the citizens of Florida are very much in favor of removing that regulation.” In addition to the research on secondhand smoke exposure, the survey collected data on youth access to tobacco products, including adult attitudes on the legal age to purchase tobacco and flavored tobacco products that are preferred by youth. According to the 2014 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, 9.2% of high school students currently use any form of tobacco, and 8.8% of high school students currently use flavored tobacco. This means that nearly 96% of high school tobacco users are using flavored tobacco. 71% of the adults surveyed were in favor of new rules requiring that flavored tobacco products be sold only in tobacco specialty stores, including 57% who were strongly in favor of such a rule. Similarly, 69% of the respondents also favored changing the legal age for tobacco purchases to 21, with 54% strongly in favor of such an increase. “85% of new tobacco users start between the ages of 12 and 17, and flavored tobacco products are their drug of choice,” said Dr. Voelker. “Floridians seem to realize that increasing the legal age and limiting the sale of certain items to stores that restrict youth access will have a profound impact on youth tobacco use.” To see the full survey, you can download the document below.
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