Vape and Tobacco Use
Tobacco use is linked to many preventable diseases, disabilities, and deaths in the United States. Smoking can harm almost every organ in our bodies. Tobacco use refers to the use of any tobacco product including cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, electronic cigarettes, and hookahs.
Tobacco Use Stats
Smokers are more likely to develop chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer than non-smokers. Overall, smoking causes almost 20% of all deaths in the United States, including 80% of all lung cancer deaths. In 2022, 14% of Williams County residents were current smokers, which has declined since 2016.
Along with traditional cigarettes, electronic vapor products (or e-cigarettes / vapes) have grown in popularity over the past few years, especially in the youth population. The term “vaping” can be misleading – e-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals like nicotine, heavy metals, and cancer-causing agents and are not just water vapor. In 2022, 19% of youth have used an e-cigarette in the past and 10% considered themselves current users in Williams County. While these numbers have decreased since 2019, adolescents that are still using e-cigarettes are at risk for many negative health effects. Since e-cigarettes are fairly new, we do not yet know for sure how harmful these effects can be.
Quitting Resources
There are multiple free resources for current smokers interested in quitting.
Smokefree.gov: This resource through the National Cancer Institute can help you create a quit plan that fits your needs. This resource has specific information for veterans, women, teens, and older adults. Visit smokefree.gov or call 1-800-784-8669 to get started today.
Truth Initiative’s BecomeAnEx: This is a free online resource and community of thousands of smokers and ex-smokers that helps to develop the skills and confidence to successfully quit. Visit BecomeAnEx.org to get started!
CDC Office on Smoking and Health
Talk to your healthcare provider about other quitting resources like nicotine replacement therapies.
CATCH My Breath Vaping Prevention Program
CATCH My Breath is an evidence-based program that provides students with skills to resist peer pressure and media influences to try e-cigarettes. Through this program, students develop strategies to resist their own curiosity as well as peer and advertising pressure to experiment with e-cigarettes. They also leave the class understanding the dangers of e-cigarette use. This program can be administered to students grades 5-12.
CATCH My Breath consists of four lessons that are about 35 minutes each. Williams County schools and other organizations can request the CATCH My Breath Vaping Prevention Program to be implemented in their classrooms for grades 5-12. Click here to request a presentation.