By Suzie Ledezma Rubio Public Health Program Specialist
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
April 1 marks the 27th year of “Take Down Tobacco,” a national day to empower communities and people to rally together to stand up and speak out against the tobacco industry.
Tobacco use remains the number one cause of preventable disease, disability, and death. In the U.S. Currently about 34 million American adults still smoke causing more than 480,000 deaths per year including 41,000 deaths from secondhand smoke exposure. Each day 1,600 youth try smoking and 235 youth transition from occasional users to daily users. Despite the progress over that past several decades in reducing smoking rates, there is still a public health concern with the use of tobacco products. As more than 2 million youth use e-cigarettes which contain the same highly addictive chemical nicotine that is in traditional cigarettes. Recent studies show youth who have ever used e-cigarettes were seven times more likely to become smokers one year later compared to those who had never vaped.
E-cigarette’s go by various names such as ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems), e-cigs, mods, pods, vape pen and more. The U.S. Surgeon General has called the use of these vapor products among youth, an epidemic. According to the most recent Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Survey, almost 36% of middle school students and 60% of high school students in Carson City admit to trying e-cigarettes.
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can harm the development of an adolescent or young adult brain. Nicotine harms the parts of the brain that controls attention, learning and impulse control. This can lead to addiction and increase the risk for addiction to other drugs. These vape products are still relatively new as they continue to evolve. There are known health consequences, but studies continue to better understand the health risks as it’s taken over 50 years to fully understand the serious health risks of smoking.
Tobacco companies and e-cigarette producers’ marketing tactics have been shown to appeal to youth. They use enticing flavors, colorful packaging, and names and logos similar to popular candy brands youth are used to. Studies show that flavored tobacco products play a major role in the initiation and continual use of such products. Other harmful risks are the aerosols from e-cigarettes which contain nicotine heavy metals, ultra-fine particles, and other known cancer-causing chemicals. The impact of this marketing is seen in the alarming increase of e-cigarette use in youth and young adults.
Our youth are our future. We must provide education and resources for youth and young adults to have the power to make informed decisions. We cannot rely on an industry that profits from sales of these products to provide this education. Let us make April 1, 2022, our day to Kick Butt and Take Action. If you want to quit using tobacco, call the Nevada Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUITNOW or if you are a teen under 18 check out Mylifemyquit.com or text “Start my quit” to 36072. There are smoke-free apps available at smokefree.gov. Additionally, staff from the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program at Carson City Health and Human Services is available to provide tobacco presentations to our youth, educators, and parents. You can contact program staff at 775-887-2190.
For resources and information about department programs and services, check out our website at www.gethealthycarsoncity.org, follow us on Twitter @CCHealthEd, “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cchhs, follow us Instagram @gethealthycarsoncity, call us at (775) 887-2190, or visit us at 900 East Long Street in Carson City.
