Volume 9 | May 2019
#BreatheEasySutter
The mission of the Sutter County Tobacco Control Program is to improve the health of Sutter County residents by reducing chronic disease, illness, and premature death attributable to the use of tobacco products through policy, systems, and environmental changes.
NICOTINE = BRAIN POISON
Flavors mask the harsh taste of tobacco which makes it easier for kids to smoke — and most kids don’t know that flavored e-cigarettes are high in nicotine.

Flavors
The tobacco industry is hooking the next generation of addicts, and flavors are a big way in. Four out of five kids who have used tobacco started with a flavored product.

Those numbers suggest that most underaged users might never have tried vaping if tobacco tasted like tobacco. From Juul’s popular mango to thousands of options available for Suorin and other open systems, flavors hook kids on a drug known to be as addictive as heroin.

Nicotine
The rise in teen vaping is finally news. But we need to know more about kids’ consumption of nicotine, such as how high the doses, and how great the risks.

Modern devices can have up to 6x the nicotine concentration of first generation e-cigs, putting kids at risk of not only a nicotine addiction, but substance addiction of all kinds.

Poison
Nicotine is one of the most toxic of all poisons. It can rewire the brain, particularly vulnerable in the developing years, from adolescence to mid-twenties.

Nicotine changes the teen brain and affects attention, learning, and memory. It can worsen stressors already challenging in adolescence:

  • Impulsivity
  • Learning difficulties
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Mood swings

But unlike other adolescent phases, changes to the brain from nicotine can be permanent. For more information and tips on how to talk to your kids about vaping go to flavorshookkids.org and download the Nicontine = Brain Poison guide.


















 SMOKE FREE AIR FOR ALL
Here at Sutter County Public Health, we’ve been receiving more and more calls from apartment dwellers. They’re looking for help to combat secondhand smoke (SHS) where they live. A few of these calls are coming from at-risk populations especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of SHS.

The specific callers are older individuals with medical conditions that are made much worse when exposed to SHS. Though their housing management listens with concern, little is being done to implement a smoke-free housing policy in the building, city, or county where they live. These are capable adults that have the know-how and courage to reach out to building management, neighbors, and even Public Health, yet they are finding barriers to breathing clean air in their own homes.

To reiterate my last point, even capable adults with deep ties to their community are hitting brick wall after brick wall trying to breathe clean air where they live. This point is worth emphasizing because there are other populations of Sutter County residents that rarely have their voices heard. These are children and populations with lower socioeconomic status. Children in rented homes, in particular, are 2.23 times more likely to be exposed to SHS than children living in owned homes.

Residents such as children or those of low socioeconomic status often lack the means to speak to decision makers when it comes to protecting their own health. Apartment building owners/managers, as well as city and county elected official infrequently hear from the very voices that should have the most say in protecting their own health.
What can we do? There are a variety of options to protect these residents from secondhand smoke:

1.    Municipalities can pass laws prohibiting smoking in multi-unit buildings
2.    Voluntary policies can be passed by property owners/management
3.    Affordable housing funders can offer tax incentives for smoke-free buildings
4.    Cities/Counties can pass “Disclosure Laws” which require building owners to disclose which units are smoking and nonsmoking. This helps people make a more informed decision when looking for housing.

These types of targeted tobacco control efforts are needed to reduce the adverse effects of secondhand smoke to those Sutter County residents who live in multi-unit homes. For more information check out our website at SutterCounty.org or contact Brian at (530) 822-7215 or bcowan@co.sutter.ca.us


The Healthy and Safe Neighborhoods Coalition (HSNC) is dedicated to creating a healthy and safe community by reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors. Due to the alarming rise in e-cigarette use among young people the coalition's current priority issue is protecting youth from nicotine addiction.

The Coalition is offering a free hands-on-experience for parents, teachers, and community members to learn about what you can do to protect youth from vaping and e-cigarettes. Topics Include:

  • Devices and Liquids (What they look like and how to spot them)
  • Marketing and Advertising (How the industry targets your kids)
  • Vaping Terminology (Learn the newest vaping terms and lingo)
  • Health Consequences (How does vaping effect your child's mind & body)
  • Talking Tips and solutions (Learn how to talk to kids about vaping and how you can make a difference)

Call Tammy at (530) 822-7215 or email HSNCoalition@gmail.com to schedule the event.

Annual Planning Meeting

The HSNC will be holding their annual planning meeting to plan community solutions, tactics, and skills training. The community is invited to attend and give input as to the next steps in creating a healthier community. Make a difference in your community and take meaningful action to create change.

Join Us:
When: June 13th (8a-2p)
Where: Veterans Hall Tucker Room (1425 Veterans Memorial Circle Yuba City
A lite lunch will be provided. To RSVP or for more information contact HSNCoalition@gmail.com or tandersen@co.sutter.ca.us
2019 YOUTH QUEST - THIS E.N.D.S NOW The Products Change but the Addiction Remains....
On March 18, 2019 six (6) Student Advocates for Sutter County youth (SASC) were able to attend the Annual Youth Quest. Hundreds of youth from across California gathered in Sacramento to inform and educate state decision makers on how tobacco impacts young people, their peers and their families. The SASC youth were able to showcase their local youth coalition activities aimed at creating a healthier community. This year's theme, This E.N.D.S Now: The Products Change but the Addiction Seminarians, focused on the alarming rates of tobacco use among youth.

The youth received information and tips on how to educate decision makers and then it was left up to them to craft their message and stories that would impact decision makers. The youth then made signs and learned chants and marched to the capital for a press conference on the steps of the Capital. Two of our SASC youth were scheduled to meet with Senator Nielson and they were able to share their message with his assigned staff person. The other SASC youth dropped of educational materials to representatives who did not respond to a meeting request.

Youth Quest is an amazing event for youth in our community to participate in, it provides an opportunity for youth advocates to demonstrate their commitment to a tobacco-free California, learn about current tobacco control efforts, and build their advocacy skills by sharing their local work with legislators.

If you are or know of a young person high school aged who would be interested in participating in the Student Advocates for Sutter County, please visit our website SutterCounty.org or contact Tammy Andersen at (530) 822-7215 or tandersen@co.sutter.ca.us
"The tobacco industry is not a passive entity, but one that aggressively seeks to maintain and enlarge its market share by finding replacement users for products that kill when used as intended”
— Michael Ong, TEROC
Sutter County Public Health | Tobacco Control Program | (530) 822-7215
1445 Veterans Memorial Circle Yuba City, CA | SutterCounty.org
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