Washington, D.C. – Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), despite a decline in smoking in the past 50 years, 40 million adults and more than three and a half million adolescents continue to smoke. As a result, 16 million Americans are living with a disease cause by tobacco use and about 1,300 people die each day of smoking-related illnesses. In 2017, e-cigarettes became the most commonly used tobacco products among high school students.
On December 18, 2018, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams released a national advisory warning of the dangerous trend of e-cigarette use among youth.
“I, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, Dr. Jerome Adams, am emphasizing the importance of protecting our children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction and associated health risks by immediately addressing the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use,” said Dr. Adams. “The recent surge in e-cigarette use among youth, which has been fueled by new types of e-cigarettes that have recently entered the market, is a cause for great concern. We must take action now to protect the health of our nation’s young people.”
In partnership with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) has created a publication entitled, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Juuling, Other Trends, and Community Prevention, which outlines best practices for coalitions to tackle this epidemic.
Andrew Romero, Director, Geographic Health Equity Alliance shared, “We have made great strides in reducing tobacco use across the United States thanks to the work of community coalitions. Coalitions are at the heart of CADCA’s prevention model, and we believe that to replicate these public health successes, coalitions must play a central role in addressing the e-cigarette epidemic as well. CADCA’s 2019 National Leadership Forum will have a number of sessions developed specifically to help coalitions address e-cigarettes in their communities.”
This Practical Theorist is part of a series of publications designed to summarize field research
on key drug abuse issues, and to present it in a concise, practical format, with strategies
for using the data to mobilize communities and support the mission of coalitions. The publication covers important topics related to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) including: Juuling, Vaping, Federal regulations impacting the sales of ENDS and Individual and Environmental factors related to its use.
Dr. Adams will serve as a keynote speaker for the National Leadership Plenary at CADCA’s annual National Leadership Forum on Tuesday, February 5th. Dr. Adams will talk about his advisory and the way CADCA’s resources are being used in communities throughout the country to create impactful change. For more information on the event, go to the CADCA Forum website or contact CADCA directly at 1-800-54-CADCA.
About CADCA
The mission of CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) is to strengthen the capacity of community coalitions to create and maintain safe, healthy and drug-free communities globally. This is accomplished by providing technical assistance and training, public policy advocacy, media strategies and marketing programs, training and special events.
About NIDA
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has a mission to advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health. This involves strategically supporting and conducting basic and clinical research on drug use, its consequences and the underlying neurobiological, behavioral, and social mechanisms involved. NIDA also ensures the effective translation, implementation, and dissemination of scientific research findings to improve the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders and enhance public awareness of addiction as a brain disorder.
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