Local summit on tobacco use looks at ways to reduce smoking, vaping скачать в хорошем качестве

Local summit on tobacco use looks at ways to reduce smoking, vaping

NORWOOD, Ohio (WKRC) - A new survey released Wednesday at the Greater Cincinnati Tobacco Summit says when it comes to both cigarettes and vaping, the Tri-State has a lot of work to do. It was a busy day at the Cintas Center as Interact for Health brought together some of the best experts in the country to share how to reduce our smoking rates. We now lead the country among tobacco-related illnesses. "Thirty-four percent of the people in Greater Cincinnati use some form of tobacco product," said Dr. O'dell Owens of Interact for Health. Whether it's traditional cigarettes or e-cigarette use, Dr. Owens says Cincinnati has a higher-than-average tobacco-use rate compared to the rest of the country. Dr. Brian King of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was the keynote speaker at the summit. "Most concerning is the inclusion of nicotine in these products, and there's a growing body of science showing that it can harm the developing adolescent brain, which continues through age 25, but it can also prime the brain for addictions to other drugs, including potential cigarette smoking in the future," said Dr. King. The Ohio Department of Health released a report Wednesday that states, in Ohio alone, there are three reported cases of severe lung illnesses likely due to vaping, and 11 additional cases are now being investigated in the state and more than 200 nationwide. "There's still a lot that we're trying to learn about e-cigarettes, but the bottom line is that we know enough to act -- particularly to protect our nation's youth from this completely preventable health risk. There's a variety of harmful ingredients that we have identified in that aerosol that comes out of these products, including things like fine particles that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, as well as nicotine and volatile organic compounds," said Dr. King. The vaping cases being investigated in Ohio are not in counties in our area, but a health alert has been issued because all the cases are in the age range of 18 to 26 years old, and all the patients needed to be hospitalized. "I think the message is that even though many of us do not see people who smoke, we don't allow smoking in our home or around our families, the battle's not over. Secondhand and even thirdhand smoke still can impact our community," said Dr. Owens. Part of the goal here is to let people know there are resources available if you or a loved one wants to quit smoking or vaping. And, more importantly, we need to continue the research to let people know if there are continued health concerns related to smoking and vaping and what we can do to address them.