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Tobacco Prevention

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. Cigarette smoking damages nearly every organ of the body. Secondhand smoke also causes many serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer in adults and respiratory infections, ear infections and more frequent asthma attacks in children. Besides cigarettes, tobacco is also a key ingredient in smokeless tobacco products, cigars, and electronic vaping devices.  All tobacco use poses dangers to youth because all tobacco contains the highly addictive drug, nicotine. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can lead to addiction, may harm brain development, and can lead to long term tobacco product use.

Cigarettes:   

Among Maryland counties, Garrett County youth have the worst rate of cigarette smoking in the State with 21.5% being current smokers (2014 MD YRBS). The State rate of youth smoking is 8.7%. Smoking can seriously harm kids while they are still young. Aside from the immediate bad breath, irritated eyes and throat and increased heartbeat and blood pressure, short-term harms from youth smoking include respiratory problems, reduced immune function, increased illness, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Smokeless Tobacco Products:

Like cigarette smoking, Garrett County youth have the highest rate of smokeless tobacco use among all Maryland counties. The Garrett County current use rate is 19.1%, compared to the Maryland rate of 5.8%. The next closest county is Dorchester at 14.0%. Although Garrett County youth smoking rates are the highest in the State, they are, at least, decreasing over time, whereas smokeless tobacco use continues to rise.

Smokeless tobacco use didn’t used to be so prevalent among the younger population. With the new generation of smokeless tobacco products that are made to be easier to conceal, easier to use, and lower priced, the popularity of these products among young people is likely to continue to rise.

Electronic Vapor Devices

The latest trend in smoking is electronic vaping devices. In fact, more teens now use these devices than conventional cigarettes.  Electronic vaping devices, most commonly known as e-cigarettes or e-cigs, are battery operated products that turn nicotine into a vapor. They are promoted as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes, but they still deliver nicotine. Little is actually known yet about the health risks of these devices.

In Garrett County, a shocking 36.2% of youth reported past 30 day use of an electronic vapor device, which is higher than both smoking and smokeless tobacco use rates. The devices are attractive to youth and may lead to experimentation with other tobacco products which are known to cause serious harms.

What You Can Do to Help:

Educate: Take advantage of any of the resources below that can help start a conversation with or provide information to people that you have access to.