To Whom it May Concern,
Thank you for the opportunity to voice our concerns about commercial tobacco, nicotine and vaping product use in Crescent City. I am writing to voice my support of the implementation of Tobacco Retail Licensing to help address rising tobacco and nicotine use.
Tobacco use is a major contributor to preventable death and disease and has a significant impact on the health of kids. Use of tobacco products, especially vaping, are on the rise in adolescents. In California 13% of 7'h graders and 29% of 11'h graders had vaped according to a 2019 California Healthy Kids Survey. Frequent exposure to tobacco marketing increases the risk of tobacco usel, ii. Tobacco Retail Licensing can help reduce the availability of these products to youth.
Smoking comes with serious health risks such as early heart disease, hypertension, asthma exacerbations and increased risk of lung cancer. Del Norte County has a significant number of children with asthma and exposure to second hand smoke increases their risk of serious asthma exacerbations that can lead to hospitalization and frequent visits to the emergency room. Vaping also poses significant health risks. I've cared for otherwise healthy teenagers who required intubation because of vaping associated lung disease. Local action is needed to address tobacco and nicotine use and protect the youth in our community.
Sincerely,
Hawnah Parker, Do
Hannah Parker, DO
Pediatrician, Del Norte Community Health Center
'Lake County. California Healthy Kids Survey, 2017-2019: Main Report. San Francisco: WestEd Health and Justice Program for the California Department of Education. https://data.calschls.org/resources /Lake_County_1719_Sec_CHKS.pdf pg.47
"Evans N, Farkas A, Gilpin E, Berry C, Pierce JP, Influence of tobacco marketing and exposure to smokers on adolescent susceptibility to smoking. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1995 Oct 18;87(20): 1538-45.
' Henriksen, L., Feighery, E.C., Wang, Y., Fortmann, S.P., Association of retail tobacco marketing with adolescent smoking. American Journal of Public Health, 2004. 94(12): p. 2081-2083.