Did You Know…

Be Well Douglas County Building a Culture of Health At Work S P E C I A L E - C I G A R E T T E I S S U E : A p r i l 2 0 1 9

S p e c i a l p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t :

Vaping Concerns

Use among youth

E-Cigarette Facts

Resources to quit

This special issue is presented to Douglas County

Employees as an ALERT to the health impact of vaping

and E-cigarettes.

vaping:

the action or practice of inhaling

and exhaling the vapor

produced by an electronic

cigarette or similar device

Concerns Explode

Over New Health Risks of Vaping

Read Full Article for Students here

The Basics of E-Cigs E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that can look like a real cigarette or pen. Some with refillable tanks look a bit different. There are hundreds of brands, and they're sometimes marketed as a way to get your nico-tine fix without the danger of cigarettes.

They all work the same basic way:

They have containers filled with liquid that's usual-ly made of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemi-cals.

A heating device turns the liquid into vapor that you inhale when you take a drag.

Information for

parents on e-

cigarettes from

the Centers for

Disease Control

Know a teen who wants to quit? Encour-

age them to visit teen.smokefree.gov.

Vaping on the Rise: Study show s

one in five high school seniors vape

Vaping among teens in the United States continues to rise at an alarming rate. That’s according to a new study by the University of Michigan that found one in five high school seniors said they vaped within the past months.

It’s also spreading like wildfire in Oregon. Read an article on vaping in Oregon schools here.

Use Among Youth: Recent reports indicate that vaping is becom ing ram pant at

high schools and even middle schools.

Wellness Committee Mission

To promote and support a workplace that encourages health and wellness.

Goals

Lower health care costs

Improve health

Increase awareness of available health benefits and resources

Increase opportunities for employee engagement through healthy activities

Maintain respect for individual health needs and goals

Measure and report on wellness impact

What’s in that vapor anyways?

The American Cancer Society says “Although the term “vapor” may sound harmless, the aerosol that comes out of an e-cigarette is not water vapor and can be harmful.” E-cigarette vapor can contain substances that can cause lung disease, heart disease, and cancer.

To read more about the chemicals and substances found in e-cigarette vapor, and the health effects of e-cigarettes, read the American Cancer Society’s feature on e-cigarettes.

Most E-cigarettes contain Nicotine, the same drug found in cigarettes: Nicotine has known damaging effects: It’s addictive,

toxic to developing fetuses and can harm brain development in children and young adults up to the age of 20. Some Juul pods

contain as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.1

E-Cigarette aerosol can harm the body: the substance that e-cigarette users breathe in and exhale can contain harmful and

potentially harmful substances like nicotine, chemicals and heavy metals. Because these products aren’t regulated, its impossible

to know what’s in an e-cigarette.2

E-Cigarettes can cause injuries: It doesn’t happen very often, but e-cigarette batteries have malfunctioned, causing burns on

hands and face and other bodily injuries. Also, children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing or absorbing e-

cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes, according to the CDC.2

Health Impact of Flavoring Chemicals: E-cigarettes come in a variety of flavors. The health impact of inhaling the flavoring

chemicals, which were designed for ingestion, not inhalation, is unknown. However, a recent study indicates the chemicals may

harm airways.3

Information and

resources for quit-

ting:

OR Health Authority

Tobacco Prevention

Smoke Free Oregon

Note to Employees

covered by the CIS

Regence Medical

plan—the plan pays

80% toward tobacco

cessation services, so

long as an in-network

provider is used, after

member has met de-

ductible.

Did you know...

All Douglas County facilities are subject to Oregon’s Indoor Clean

Air Act, w hich protects Oregonians from the harms of

secondhand smoke.

As of 2016, the Indoor Clean Air Act includes vapor from e-cigarettes.

Under the Act, smoking and vaping is prohibited within 10 feet of all

entrances and exits (including stairs), accessibility ramps that lead to/from an entrance/exit, windows

that open and air intake vents.

Cigarette butt containers are located around the Courthouse complex for

employees and the public.