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County Officials Working To Curtail Tobacco Use

This March 28, 2019, photo shows cigarette butts in an ashtray in New York. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

With 25.8 percent of adults in Chautauqua County being smokers, the Chautauqua County Department of Health has partnered with several organizations to curtail the use of tobacco.

Chautauqua County has the eighth highest number of adult smokers out of 62 counties in the state, so what can county Health Department officials do to lower the number of tobacco users. Breeanne Agett, county Department of Health and Human Services epidemiology manager, said the department’s role is to identify issues of public health concern and ensure that efforts are occurring to combat those issues. In the case of tobacco use, Agett said county officials partner with Tobacco Free Western New York that works in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties to enact a local tobacco control program.

“Their work plan is established by New York state, and they carry out those efforts locally. We partner closely with Tobacco Free (Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties) to work on tobacco issues in our county. We also identify policy-level actions that should be taken to protect the health of our residents (programs like Tobacco 21),” she said. “We are currently partnering with Tobacco Free CCA, CASAC (Chautauqua Alcohol & Substance Abuse Council), BOCES, and Health Systems Change for a Tobacco-Free WNY to address the teen vaping crisis.”

Along with trying to stop the use of tobacco, county health officials are also working to curtail the use of electronic cigarettes or vaping, especially among young people.

“We’re currently part of a committee working to address youth use of electronic cigarettes — Nicotine Annihilation Team — through education at the community, parent and school levels,” Agett said. “We’re examining school policies — do they include electronic cigarettes with other tobacco products and what is their discipline policy? We’re sharing the dangers of e-cigarettes on social media and local billboards. We’re putting together education to send to parents or include in school newsletters, distributing posters for school bathrooms and much more.

“There are many misconceptions about these products; many parents do not perceive them as dangerous. As a result, our youth are becoming addicted to nicotine when they might not have otherwise initiated tobacco use. For the first time in over a decade, we’re starting to see an increase in teen smoking rates (in New York state). It’s not uncommon for youth who started with e-cigarettes to transition to traditional cigarette use, and we suspect that this is what has occurred in New York state.”

County officials operate several tobacco cessation programs that includes Moms Quit Program where county maternal and infant health staff provide tobacco cessation education and support for moms during and after pregnancy. The program offers free diapers to moms who successfully quit smoking. The program is available to mothers enrolled in the Community Health Worker and Nurse Family Partnership Programs.

Another way county officials are trying to stop tobacco use is to refer people to the New York state quitline at 1-866-NYQUITS or nysmokefree.com, which offers coaching and support for individuals who desire to quit smoking as well as a short-term supply of nicotine replacement therapy to those who qualify. County officials also refer people to other local programs offered through Brooks Memorial Hospital and UPMC Chautauqua. Agett said nicotine replacement therapy has been made available to county residents through state grants and is being distributed at local doctor’s offices, as well as at county Health Department clinics.

Health Systems Change for a Tobacco-Free Western New York and Roswell Park Cessation Services are other programs who offer education and technical support to physician offices, Agett said. She also said health insurance providers provide cessation coaching and medications (including nicotine replacement therapy: patches, lozenges, gum, etc.) to treat tobacco addiction.

“Residents should contact their health insurance providers to learn more about what services are available,” she said.

Agett said it costs $10.4 billion in health care, of which more than a third, $3.3 billion, is paid for by Medicaid in New York state.

“Given a Chautauqua County’s population of 133,940 in 2009, we could estimate that Chautauqua County health care expenses due to smoking to cost about $71.36 million per year, $23.79 million of which is likely covered by Medicaid,” she said. “This is likely a conservative estimate given that our smoking rate is higher and that our poverty rate is higher than New York state as a whole. Please note that these calculations are just estimates; we don’t have these exact figures at our fingertips.”

County health officials would like to see some new policies implemented at the state level that could assist in curtailing the use of tobacco. Agett said state officials have proposed several policies which could aid in the prevention of tobacco use initiation. Each are evidence-based and, if enacted, would be beneficial to our county. One policy would be to raise the minimum sales age for tobacco and electronic cigarette products from 18 to 21.

“Most underage youth obtain tobacco and vapor products from friends who are over 18 and can legally purchase products,” she said. “Raising the minimum age will curb youth tobacco use and remove sources of tobacco from high schools.”

Unlike the state as a whole, the Chautauqua County Legislature and former County Executive Vince Horrigan passed a law in October 2016 raising the tobacco purchasing age from 18 to 21. Agett said because the change happened less than three years ago that it’s still too early to tell the impact raising the purchasing age has had in the county.

“One of the main goals of the Tobacco 21 concept is to reduce social access of tobacco (traditional and electronic products) to youth,” she said. “CASAC is currently surveying school districts on youth risk factors, which includes tobacco use. This data, which is not yet complete and accessible, will help us to monitor progress. This is the first survey of its kind since the passing of the Tobacco 21 law. Electronic cigarette use wasn’t included in the last survey, but is included in the current survey. Needham, Mass., saw youth initiation decrease by 47 percent four years after legislation was passed (law passed in 2005, reduction realized in 2009), though this was prior to the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes, so we will have to see how those numbers play out. E-cigarettes cannot be sold to those under 21 locally, but are more easily purchased online by those between 18 and 21.”

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