August 19, 2022
On Tuesday, Multnomah County Chair Deborah Caffoury, after a detailed briefing on tobacco-related premature deaths and illnesses among residents, gave the health department recommendations on how the county could reduce youth access to nicotine products. was instructed to return
Health ministry recommendations are due out in September, including restrictions on flavored products that can attract young people and lead to lifelong addictions. Kafoury Chairman Comment request form Regarding the proposed flavor limit.
She acknowledged the difficulty of reducing nicotine product use for both users and businesses.
“And especially after two years of a deadly respiratory virus exacerbated by smoking, I’m ready to say ‘enough’.”
In a key part of Tuesday’s briefing, Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bynes told the commission that tobacco and COVID-19 have a “serious interaction,” including the number of hospitalized with COVID-19. smoking was associated with a higher risk of complications. and death.
data from American Heart Association Released in July 2022 Smokers were 45% more likely to die and 39% more likely to be put on a ventilator.
American Lung Association He called COVID-19 and tobacco “creating a crisis within a crisis.”
Attracting the next generation of tobacco users
A major concern with flavored nicotine and tobacco products is the large number of preventable deaths and health problems associated with their use, including cancer and heart risk. These are the two leading causes of death in Multnomah County.
Young people are particularly prone to using flavored nicotine and tobacco products, mostly in the form of e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes, Vines said, calling them nicotine addiction starter products.
“Almost all of them use flavored products,” Dr. Vines said.
She said there are good reasons for that. Dr. Vines displayed many of his tobacco products, including vapes and cigars. They all boast attractive flavors that resemble candy. Gummy Bears, Chocolate and Vanilla, Banana Ice Cream, Pineapple, Rainbow He’s Skittles.
“It’s hard to tell the difference, isn’t it?” Dr. Bynes said, holding up a multi-colored package of e-cigarette pens (flavored tobacco products).
of Reported by the Oregon Department of Health In 2017, 57% of 8th graders in Oregon who use tobacco or e-cigarettes seek out flavored products, and that percentage rose to 65% among 11th graders who use tobacco or e-cigarettes. This compares with just her 21% of adults using flavored tobacco or nicotine products.
The candy-like flavor of this tobacco has a historical precursor, menthol.
Dr. Bynes explained how menthol flavoring masks the irritation of inhaling tobacco smoke and reduces smokers’ discomfort. I got
“It’s like breathing fresh air through a menthol cigarette, which is not true,” she said.
Tobacco flavors are strategic, Dr. Vines said.
Dr. Bynes reported that 99.6% of retailers evaluated in Multnomah County sell at least one flavored tobacco product, including menthol cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigarillos and smokeless tobacco.
The low prices of these flavored tobacco products are also attractive and readily available to young people. In Multnomah County, 67% of retailers selling cigarillos or small cigars advertised his cigars for less than $1. And 73% of retailers offer discounts or price promotions, even on items priced above $1.
“When it’s cheap, tasty, and widely available, kids will use it,” Dr. Vines said.
Marketing efforts saturate black, LGBTQ+ communities
Dr. Vines spoke about long-standing disparities related to nicotine and tobacco use. The African American community has traditionally been targeted by the tobacco industry, along with the LGBTQ+ community.
The tobacco industry’s marketing strategy targets black neighborhoods, where tobacco advertising is often 10 times higher. Its oversaturated advertising has led to a growing number of young and adult communities using those products. According to tobacco regulationsBlack smokers use menthol at a higher rate than smokers of any other race: 85%.
LGBTQ+ youth use cigars, e-cigarettes and e-cigarette products at higher rates than other youth. Dr. Vines reported that among high school students who reported using e-cigarettes, 30% identified themselves as bisexual, 27% as lesbian/gay, and 23% as heterosexual.
Multnomah County First to Restrict Youth Access, License Retailers
Multnomah County has consistently led efforts to address the health effects of tobacco and nicotine use.
September 2019, Multnomah County Public Health Advisory Committee recommended that the health committee, which is composed of committees, consider a ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine;This is based on the incidence of e-cigarette-related lung disease and the steady rise in e-cigarette use among teens. The effort comes just before Multnomah County faced his COVID-19 and focused immediate public health resources on fighting the pandemic.
Dr. Bynes has long called for Multnomah County to do more. He talks about recent policy changes to make tobacco products less accessible to youth and young adults. April 2017, Multnomah County Public Health Requested Board raised the legal age to buy tobacco to 21 in April, shortly after Governor Kate Brown signed SB 754 into lawraises the legal purchase age to 21.
In October 2015, Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Program and the Action Communities for Health, Innovation and Environmental Health (ACHIEVE) Coalitionidentified flavored tobacco as a major cause of health disparities, particularly affecting black and African American communities.
Commissioner Sharon Meylanwho also works as an emergency doctor, said this was a “huge issue” for her.
“I see these effects in the ER on patients,” she said.
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal It said the health impacts of tobacco and flavor products were clear, but also hoped that the impact of the regulation would “not rise to already vulnerable communities.”
“We know that many of the nicotine products in e-cigarettes are candy flavors that are appealing and used by many young people. Commissioner Jessica Vega PedersonShe said she hopes to continue learning about tobacco and other health effects of nicotine products in September.
