MEETING
YOU make the difference!
Tobacco Free Partnership of Sumter County meetings are open to the public. ALL are Welcome!
Meetings
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Thursday, November 21, 2024
February 20, 2025
May 15, 2025
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
via google meets (meet.google.com/dqn-cixm-tfw)
Contact info@tobaccofreesumter.com for more information.
IN THE NEWS
How celebrity-branded and tech-forward e-cigarettes may be contributing to youth nicotine use
August 14, 2024
In the growing e-cigarette marketplace, celebrity brands and tech-forward designs may be contributing to youth uptake of these cheap, flavored, and highly addictive products.
Celebrities such as Mike Tyson and Chris Brown have debuted their own brands of e-cigarettes, contributing to the wave of unauthorized, illegal e-cigarettes that have flooded the market in recent years. Many of these products are bigger, stronger, and cheaper than the previous generation of e-cigarettes — and often contain sweet, fruity flavors that have been proven to appeal to young people.
Meanwhile, in another trend that is likely to influence youth uptake, e-cigarette manufacturers are now adding high-tech elements such as Bluetooth capability, high-definition screens, and speakers to their e-cigarette products, with some versions including games such as Pac-Man and Tetris. These products are attractive to youth and may couple nicotine addiction with gaming disorders, according to a paper published in Tobacco Control.
With more than 2 million middle and high school students using e-cigarettes and one in four reporting daily use, action must be taken to regulate these products. Federal agencies must work quickly to protect our nation’s young people and remove these youth-appealing and highly addictive products from the shelves.
For celebrities, branded e-cigarettes can bring in cash, at the expense of young people’s health
With few regulations on new e-cigarette products being enforced, celebrities have entered the market at the risk of exposing their young fans to highly addictive products.
Mike Tyson has three types of disposable nicotine e-cigarettes for sale on his online store, some of which are available in 51 different flavors. Chris Brown also offers disposable nicotine e-cigarettes in a wide range of flavors, and each device comes with a character card featuring a unique cartoon character designed by Brown. Users are encouraged to “collect them all” in a marketing tactic that is highly reminiscent of children’s trading card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pokémon.
Bluetooth, screens, and speakers: new “smart vapes” incorporate high-tech features
In the battle to find a niche in the e-cigarette marketplace, e-cigarette manufacturers have begun to produce high-tech products that incorporate Bluetooth, screens, and speakers into their designs, all for less than $20.
The RAMA e-cigarette brand describes itself as a “technologically advanced disposable vape brand, offering unmatched personalization with features such as GPS tracking, phone connectivity, Bluetooth connection and a unique screen displaying personal photos.”
Other models, such as the Craftbox V-Play 20k disposable vape, feature video game controls and comes equipped to play 3 different games.
The Ooze e-cigarette brand contains a wireless speaker that users can pair with their device to play music, and it also lights up while music is playing. The colors, lights, and round shape of the device are strongly reminiscent of a child’s toy, and these products clearly play into youth culture by offering the ability to personalize one’s device, in addition to their tech-forward designs.
These tech-forward e-cigarette brands are following in the footsteps of JUUL, the e-cigarette introduced in 2015 whose sleek, silver design and USB-charging mechanism made it an instant success among young people. JUUL was marketed more like a stylish accessory than a nicotine delivery device, and these products follow a similar marketing playbook.
Action must be taken to regulate these youth-appealing, highly addictive products. Nicotine is harmful to developing brains, and high rates of daily use could put young users at risk for nicotine addiction. Truth Initiative supports measures being taken to address the influx of illegal, unauthorized e-cigarettes and urges all retailers to act swiftly and in compliance with these regulations to ensure a safer future for our young people.
Effects of smoking and vaping on oral health
A happy mouth is a happy body
Tobacco use has detrimental effects on health, including oral health. The emergence and increasing popularity of newer tobacco and nicotine products make tobacco use one of the major public health problems in the world. Tobacco use increases the risk of oral diseases such as oral cancer, oral mucosal lesions, periodontal disease, and dental caries, among many other oral diseases and conditions.
People who smoke have a higher risk of gum problems, tooth loss, complications after tooth removal and surgery in the mouth, and developing mouth cancer. They are more likely to get infections and don’t heal as well as non-smokers.
Less adults smoke now than they used to, but it still remains a problem. In 2018, 13.7% of US adults smoked.How does smoking affect teeth, gums and oral health?
The most common oral problems affecting people who smoke are:
- Gum (or periodontal) disease.
- Mouth cancer.
- Whitening of the soft tissue in the mouth (called smoker’s keratosis).
- Poor healing after tooth removal (known as dry socket).
- Tooth decay.
- Tooth loss.
- Poor healing after mouth and gum surgery.
- Decreased taste.
- Bad taste in the mouth and bad breath (called halitosis).
Health risks of vaping
Smoking e-cigarettes or water pipes (known as vaping) – may seem less harmful than smoking regular cigarettes. Yet this may not be the case for the health of your mouth.
When you vape, you inhale e-liquids (also called vaping juice) which, even when labelled ‘nicotine-free’, can contain harmful substances. These include:
- Nicotine.
- Heavy metals.
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Cancer-causing chemicals.
- The risk of vaping devices causing problems in your mouth is much higher if they contain nicotine.
The long-term effects of vaping are not fully known. Yet there is some evidence that vaping can cause inflammation in the mouth, which can lead to gum disease and other oral health problems.
Temporary loss of taste may happen in some people (also called vape tongue).
Vaping may be seen as a way to quit smoking. Yet vaping may make it harder to quit smoking completely which increases the risk of diseases associated with tobacco use, such as mouth cancer.
- Smoking can impact your oral health.
- People who smoke are at a higher risk of developing mouth cancer (oral), gum problems, losing teeth, decay on the roots of teeth, and complications after tooth removal and gum and oral surgery.
- If you smoke tobacco or vape, it is important to look after your oral health to prevent dental problems and gum disease.
- Quitting smoking improves mouth cancer, reduces the risk of developing gum disease and mouth cancer, and improves the person’s response to gum treatment.
- It is very important for people who smoke to visit their dentist regularly to keep their teeth and gums healthy and check for signs of mouth cancer. They can give advice about how to keep your teeth and gums healthy, and do regular oral health and mouth cancer checks.
- It is also important for people who vape to visit a dentist regularly to detect and treat any oral health problems. If you vape, make sure to tell your dentist this.
Will my gums get better if I stop smoking?
Yes. The good news is that people who quit smoking have the same risk of developing gum disease and responding to gum treatment as non-smokers.
Once you quit smoking, don’t be alarmed if your gums bleed more. Seek treatment from a dentist or dental hygienist. They can also show you how to care for your teeth at home.
Speak to your doctor or dentist about quitting smoking. The dental office is an excellent venue for providing cessation intervention. Smoking cessation interventions provided by oral healthcare providers include brief educational, behavioral, and pharmacological interventions.
Benefits of Quitting Smoking
