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Contact: Brianna Bodily, Public Information Officer, 208-329-2898

Great American Smokeout Encourages Smokers to Quit for Good

SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO - Smokers are urged to quit tobacco for a day, or preferably a lifetime, during the Great American Smokeout Thursday, Nov. 15. Since 1970, the event has been a new start for tobacco users around the country. The South Central Public Health District joins the American Cancer Society in urging South Central Idaho residents to use this year's Great American Smokeout to take the first step toward a smoke free life today.

Smoking accounts for nearly one in three cancer deaths in the United States, and increases the risk of more than 13 types of cancer.

"Quitting even for one day can be an important step toward a healthier life," said Cody Orchard, SCPHD Health Education Specialist. "We have nicotine replacement products for free, for anyone committed to quitting."

Although there's no one right way to quit that works for everyone, there are some key elements that can help put smokers and other tobacco users on the road to living a longer and healthier life.

"The American Cancer Society supports any smoker who is considering quitting, no matter what approach they use," said Cliff Douglas, JD, American Cancer Society vice president of tobacco control. "The ACS recommends patients work with their clinician and use FDA-approved cessation aids that have been proven to help."

Consider these stay-quit tips from the American Cancer Society.

Set a date Picking a "quit day" is a critical first step. It's best to pick a date and allow yourself enough time to prepare and create a plan but not enough time to change your mind.

Make a plan Successfully quitting is a matter of planning and commitment, not luck. Many smokers prefer to quit cold turkey on their quit day while others try to smoke fewer cigarettes leading up to their quit day to slowly reduce the amount of nicotine in their body and reduce withdrawal symptoms. Consider local cessation classes that can give support as you make the change.

Don't smoke on your quit day Don't take even one puff! Keep your mind and body occupied by exercising or losing yourself in an enjoyable hobby, and avoid situations where the urge to smoke is strong (this may include avoiding alcohol).

Avoid rationalizations "I'll have just one cigarette to get me through this situation" ... "Everyone dies of something" ... "How bad is smoking, really?" Write down rationalizations as they come up and recognize them as messages that can trick you into going back to smoking. Be ready with a distraction to redirect your thoughts to something else.

Bounce back from slips A slip is a one-time mistake that is quickly corrected; a relapse is going back to smoking. While it may be tempting to use a slip as an excuse to go back to your old ways, you also can look at what went wrong and renew your commitment. Try not to get too discouraged - very few people are able to quit for good on the first try. Use what you learn from the slip to make a stronger quitting attempt next time.

Quitting is hard, but you can increase your chances of success with help. Join the American Cancer Society for the Great American Smokeout on Nov. 15 and explore free resources and tools at cancer.org/smokeout.

Brianna Bodily
Public Information Officer, South Central Public Health District
[email protected] | 208.737.5985

For Immediate Release

November 15, 2018

Contact: Mike Keckler

208-332-1591 (office)

208-866-5734 (cell)

[email protected]

DIRECT ADMISSIONS "REMINDER" LETTERS ARRIVING THIS WEEK

The parents of high school seniors throughout Idaho are receiving letters this week from the Idaho State Board of Education intended to encourage them to remind their student to submit their college applications free of charge using Apply Idaho on the nextsteps.idaho.gov website.

The letter follows the Direct Admissions letter mailed to high school seniors last month informing them that they are automatically accepted to Idaho's colleges and universities and that they still needed to apply.

"Over half of Idaho's senior class submitted their college applications after the Direct Admissions letter was mailed out," State Board College and Career Advising Program Manager Byron Yankey said. "We want the rest of the senior class follows their lead and so we are enlisting help from parents to make sure their student gets their college applications submitted."

The State Board's Direct Admissions program automatically admits all high school seniors either to six, or all eight of Idaho's public colleges and universities depending on their high school academic performance.

Apply Idaho includes a how-to video to help students complete their college applications. Most can finish the entire process in as little as 15 minutes.

Last year, about 45 percent of high school seniors used Apply Idaho to submit their college applications. Each student applied to an average of 2.5 institutions.

Vaping Increased Nearly 80 Percent Among High Schoolers Since Last Year,
nearly 50 Percent Among Middle Schoolers

SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO - 3.6 million middle and high school students are currently using e-cigarettes, according to newly released results from the National Youth Tobacco Survey. This is an increase of more than 1.5 million students since last year.

"These increases must stop," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a statement. "I will not allow a generation of children to become addicted to nicotine through e-cigarettes. We won't let this pool of kids, a pool of future potential smokers, of future disease and death, to continue to build. We'll take whatever action is necessary to stop these trends from continuing."

South Central Public Health District joins the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in urging parents and schools to educate their children about the dangers of e-cigarettes, vapes, Juuls, and other electronic nicotine devices.

"We are starting to see teenagers who would never have been exposed to nicotine through cigarettes - have instead been exposed through e-cigarettes," said Cody Orchard, SCPHD Health Education Specialist. "Worse yet, because this is self-reported we are suspicious these numbers are actually higher."

According to the survey's findings, the number of U.S. high school students who reported being current e-cigarette users increased 78 percent between 2017 and 2018. The number of middle school students currently using e-cigarettes rose 48 percent.

The increased popularity of e-cigarettes among youth raises a number of other health concerns:
* Risk of addiction to nicotine early on in life
* Potential harm from nicotine exposure to the developing adolescent brain
* Exposure to chemicals associated with adverse health effects.
* Research shows, compared with non-users, youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to transition to conventional cigarettes risking a lifetime of addiction to smoking and resulting smoking-attributable disease.

The uptick in e-cigarette use has led overall tobacco product use to increase by 38 percent among high school students and by 29 percent among middle school students in the last year, reversing the positive decline seen over the last few years.

Today the FDA also announced new measures against flavored nicotine products they believe have encouraged the rise in teen tobacco use, and are proposing measures to crack down on products that are marketed to or are appealing to youth.

"We don't know the long-term effects of these devices," said Orchard. "It could take years to realize those effects. That's why the FDA is trying to crack down."

The South Central Public Health District offers free classes to help end nicotine addiction for both teens and adults. Schools are also welcome to schedule classes on campus. Please call 208-737-5968 to schedule a class or check the calendar on our website for the current class schedule.

Results from the National Youth Tobacco Survey:
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm625917.htm
Full statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb: https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm625884.htm
A link to a report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse that talks about specific e-cigarette numbers among teens in 2016:

https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/infographics/teens-e-cigarettes

A CDC page that talks a little bit more about the risks of e-cigarette use: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html

Brianna Bodily
Public Information Officer, South Central Public Health District
[email protected] | 208.737.5985

Brianna Bodily
Public Information Officer, South Central Public Health District
[email protected] | 208.737.5985

Carolyn Browning
Herrett Center Coordinator
[email protected] | 208.732.6656

Sue Miller

Professor of Music

[email protected] | 208.732.6769

Terry Rowe

Development Officer/Annual Programs & Events

St. Luke's Magic Valley Health Foundation

[email protected] | 208.814.0045

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