[MCN] News release: E-cigs and Missoula Kids - community health forum

[John Firehammer]

For immediate release
May 10, 2017

CONTACT:

John Firehammer
Consultant/Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program
(406) 552-5344 mobile
(406) 541-8536 office
jfirehammer at mrss.com

E-Cigarettes and Missoula Kids: The Dangers You Need to Know

More than 50 percent of Montana’s high school youth have tried e-cigs;

Local forum will discuss how kids are targeted and the risks to their health


MISSOULA – A community forum May 17 will discuss the health dangers of e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco on Missoula youth. The free, public event is set for 7 p.m. at the Sentinel High School Cafeteria, 901 South Ave. West. The forum is intended for parents and other adult community members.

E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among Montana’s youth. The most recent Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a survey of a representative sample of Montana high school students, shows that more than half of Montana high schoolers have tried e-cigarettes and 30 percent are using them regularly.

These numbers are higher than the national average and are concerning to parents and the community at large.

Participants in the forum will include:

  - Amanda Cahill, Montana government relations director, American Heart Association.
  - Kris Minard, Tobacco Use Prevention Education Specialist, Montana Office of Public Instruction.
  - Kathy Rogers, M.D., of Missoula.
  - Nicole Aune, MPH, Program Manager, Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program, Montana DPHHS.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a very addictive substance. Nicotine, in any form, is unsafe for youth because it can harm their developing brains.

Additionally, e-cigarettes contain lithium batteries that have exploded. These explosions have caused fires, and even resulted in severe personal injury.

While e-cigarettes are often presented as an alternative to conventional tobacco, research has found that youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to go on to use other tobacco products like cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are marketed using the same tactics once used to get kids to start smoking regular cigarettes. These include candy-style packaging, sweet flavors, prominent placement in convenience stores, and slick advertisements on TV, billboards and radio.

E-cigarettes can be found in over 7,700 flavors targeted at youth, like cotton candy, root beer float and bubblegum. Studies show 70 percent of children visit convenience stores weekly, and nine out of 10 smokers begin before age 18.



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