Local Success in Implementing Tobacco 21

by Guest | Aug 10, 2018 | Being Well

August 2, 2018
 
Contact: Jim Becraft, 593 842 5937

Tillamook Retailer Compliance with New Tobacco 21 Law

Tillamook County inspections indicate excellent compliance with the Tobacco 21 law that went into effect January 1, 2018.
In fact, compliance was excellent before the law went into effect, as the inspection date was 11/17/2017 based on information the Oregon Health Authority provided. According to the report, Tillamook vendors were thus ahead of the curve in meeting the standard.
 
Across much of Oregon underage sales of tobacco to minors remains widespread, however..
 
In Tillamook County 11 vendors surveyed refused attempted purchases made by inspectors less than age 21 of cigarettes, cigarillos, and electronic vaping devices.
While the survey does not mean that there are not challenges to implementation of the Tobacco 21 state statute in Tillamook County, the survey shows awareness and compliance steps are being taken locally to carefully enforce the state statute.
Across the state however, an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) report released this week found that the rate of retail tobacco sales to underage people increased slightly over the past year, as a new law took effect that increased the minimum age to buy tobacco.
The Public Health Division, in collaboration with the Oregon State Police, checks on tobacco retailers across Oregon to make sure retailers are following the law. Data from the first six months of 2018 show that since enforcement of the new sales age began, the retailer violation rate was 18 percent statewide. That’s slightly higher than the 16 percent retailer violation rate for the previous year, when the legal age being enforced was 18.
“Selling tobacco to people under 21 years old is illegal, but these data show that nearly one out of every five tobacco retailers in Oregon still sells to people under the legal age,” said Tom Jeanne, MD, deputy state health officer at the OHA Public Health Division. “Tobacco remains the number one preventable cause of death and disability and kills nearly 8,000 people in Oregon each year.”
It also costs the state $2.5 billion per year in medical costs and lost productivity. A key part of ending tobacco addiction in Oregon is making sure youth don’t start. Oregon was the fifth state to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products to 21.
Retailer owners that sell tobacco to underage persons face up to a $500 fine for the first or second violation and up to $1,000 for three or more violations. For the first time, the OHA Public Health Division has taken the added step of publicizing the list of tobacco retailers that violated the tobacco sales law.
The list of Oregon retailers that sold tobacco to underage persons in the last year is available on the OHA Public Health Division website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/TOBACCOPREVENTION/Documents/InspectionCoReport.PDF.

Diabetes and Tobacco Use

by Guest | Jul 27, 2018 | Being Well

We’re #2!  Sometimes being near the top is not a good thing.  The percentage of adults who smoke in Tillamook County is second highest among all Oregon counties.  Recent data shows the percentage of people who smoke statewide is 17.9%.  By comparison, the percentage in Tillamook County is a whopping 30.9%.

There is some good news.  Smoking rates have been declining over the past several decades.  It is a known fact that smoking poses serious health risks, negatively impacting vital organs like the lungs and the heart.² But did you know that smoking can increase your risk for Type 2 diabetes?²

Tillamook County Wellness is committed to increasing awareness about the risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes, with a goal of inspiring and motivating citizens to take steps toward improved health behaviors.  The following information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains how tobacco use increases risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes and how smoking worsens the condition for those who already have it.

Smoking cessation is covered by insurance.  Ask your medical provider for information about the best options and support for quitting smoking and to reduce your overall risk for Type 2 Diabetes through changes to your lifestyle.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which the body’s blood sugar levels are abnormally elevated. When digested, carbohydrates from food are turned into a natural sugar called glucose, which is used by the body’s cells for energy. Glucose is ushered into the cells by a hormone called insulin. People with diabetes are unable to make or efficiently use insulin, causing glucose to build up in the blood without making its way to the cells.³

There are two types of diabetes. The most common of these is Type 2, or adult-onset diabetes, which accounts for more than 90% of all diabetes cases³ and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.¹ Research has found that smoking is a direct cause of Type 2 diabetes. In fact, smokers are 30-40% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers, and smoking is responsible for about 9,000 diabetes deaths in the U.S. per year.²

How Does Smoking Affect Diabetes Management?

Diabetes is a serious yet manageable health condition, but smoking can worsen the disease, causing additional problems.⁴ Smokers with diabetes are more likely to have trouble regulating their blood sugar levels with treatment than diabetic nonsmokers.¹ Diabetics who smoke are also at a higher risk for disease complications than nonsmokers with diabetes, including: ^1,3

• Poor blood circulation in the legs and feet that can lead to infections, ulcers, and even amputation of toes and feet
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Retinopathy (an eye disease which can lead to blindness)
• Nerve damage in the arms and legs that can cause numbness, pain, weakness, and poor mobility

How Can You Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes?

• Don’t start smoking. Smoking increases your chance of having Type 2 diabetes.⁴
• If you smoke, lower your risk for Type 2 diabetes by quitting. Find a quitting method that works for you.

1. USDHHS Consumer Booklet 2014 – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). Let’s Make the Next Generation Tobacco-Free: Your Guide to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health (Consumer Booklet). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2014.
   USDHHS 2014 – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2014.
   3. CDC 2015 – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC). Smoking and Diabetes. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/diabetes.html#two. Accessed January 6, 2016.
   4. NIDDK 2014 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Prevent Diabetes Problems. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2014. http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/Diabetes/prevent-diabetes-problems/Pages/index.aspx. Accessed January 6, 2016.

https://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/PublicHealthEducation/HealthInformation/ucm490916.htm