Volusia County, FL - According to a new report from the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County (DOH-Volusia), cigarette smoking is down among teens while e-cigarette use is climbing.
The new report measures teen tobacco use, tobacco-free environments, tobacco availability, tobacco marketing and what is being done to stop smoking across different geographical areas, genders and minorities. These findings can be found in the DOH-Volusia report available online here.
DOH-Volusia surveyed teens throughout the County last year and found that almost half of them were not sure if e-cigarette use is bad for their health. 20% of the teens surveyed said that using e-cigarettes is not harmful, and 33% said that they know it is harmful.
“Volusia’s teens have earned an A for understanding the dangers of smoking cigarettes,” says Patricia Boswell, DOH-Volusia Administrator. “However, they need to improve their understanding of the dangers and health risks associated with using e-cigarettes.”
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that e-cigarettes can lead to traditional cigarette smoking. If a teen were to start e-cigarettes in 9th grade, they are more likely to try regular cigarettes and other tobacco products within a year.
“When it comes to trying to quit smoking, Volusia’s tenth graders have moved to the top of the class,” says Boswell. “They comprise the largest group of teens – 50 percent -- who try to quit smoking. That’s an A for effort at making a healthy decision.”
One of the ways the County is combating teen smoking is to limit the marketing of cigarettes and tobacco. The County has been able to surpass the goal set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's program Healthy People 2020 by reducing the marketing of these products to teens by 46 percent. The County has met 4 of the 9 goals for teen tobacco use outlined by Healthy People 2020. Teens' "report card" grade in this area is a B+, according to Boswell.
The "report card" also shows the County that they need to make more middle and high school campuses completely tobacco-free. To be 100% tobacco-free, a school would need to ban tobacco use in its facilities, on its property, and inside vehicles on campus during school events.
("Report Card" courtesy of DOH-Volusia)
“Even though we’ve made very good progress, we will continue to work toward decreasing the number of adolescents and young adults who try tobacco and those using tobacco products,” says Boswell. “We will do that by working with schools, student volunteers and retailers, and by developing and strengthening policies that protect people from targeted marketing and secondhand smoke. DOH-Volusia's Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) helps organizations tighten their tobacco policies and create programs that help individuals quit tobacco. For more information, contact the DOH-Volusia's Tobacco Program Manager, Kristen Mialki, at 386-3274-0601 or via email at kristen.mialki@flhealth.gov. Call 1-877-U-CAN-NOW or go to TobaccoFreeFlorida.com for free help to quit tobacco. Photo courtesy of Pilotsevas and Shutterstock.com. Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.
