Support youth in tobacco prevention

Quitting Smoking - Male Hand Crushing Cigarette

Pima County is fortunate to have parents, youth, and community organizations working together to prevent tobacco use in Pima County. Recently, in part to their effort, as well as state and national partners, cigarette usage has been on the decline, and is particularly evident among America’s youth. There has been a dramatic national push among tobacco prevention advocates to create a generation of nonsmokers which has seen gradual success and is championed by a younger generation.

In 2010, roughly 16 percent of Pima County youth had smoked cigarettes. In 2014, that number dropped to 12 percent.  Although the recent decrease in cigarette use among Pima County’s youth has been a powerfully positive trend, the timing of the decline coincides with a rise in the promotion and availability of electronic devices that act like a cigarette called e-cigarettes with a majority of the marketing targeting youth. The e-cigarette orally gives the user a similar habitual comfort of cigarettes, but instead of burning tobacco, the devices vaporize nicotine, water and other solvents inhaled by the user.

Let’s support our youth as they fight this new challenge. I know I am talking to my boys, Diego, age 10, and Marco, age 7, about the dangers inherent to tobacco and e-cigarette use.

As you reflect on the coming year and contemplate resolutions that positively impact you and your family, I hope you will carefully consider how you can be an example to not smoke or use e-cigarettes. In doing so, you will take an important step for your health as well as inspire youth in our community to stand strong against tobacco use.



There are a variety of ways the Health Department team might be able to help you, why not give us a call and let’s talk about how to stop smoking today 724-7904

Resource : http://www.tucsonlocalmedia.com/news/article_faa1104a-0368-11e7-8603-93ed8d398248.html