Health
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- Written by: California Department of Public Health
California has made progress in combating the youth vaping epidemic, but with kids going back to in-person learning, it is crucial we continue making progress.
The survey, which includes data from September 2019 to March 2020, revealed that California’s high school vaping rate is at its lowest in four years (8.2%) while the number of California teens trying to quit vaping more than doubled since 2018.
During the same time, numerous youth and young adults were hospitalized due to the e-cigarette, or vaping product use-associated lung injury, or EVALI, outbreak, sending a warning to young people across the state.
California was the first state in the nation to respond to the deadly EVALI outbreak with a large-scale public awareness advertising campaign to protect young people, launched by Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order on Sept. 16, 2019.
As California was responding to the EVALI epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic created another public health crisis that attacks the lungs, reinforcing lung health as a top priority. Smoking and vaping harms the lungs, putting Californians who vape at greater risk from COVID-19. Research has shown teens who have tried vaping are five times more likely to test positive for COVID-19.
“By addressing the dangers of vaping as part of our preparation for schools reopening, California is taking an even more proactive approach in protecting youth health,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH director and State Public Health officer. “Returning to in-person learning could mean a spike in teen vaping use at exactly the wrong time. It’s critical young people know the facts about the dangers of vaping and have the support and resources they need to avoid use or quit.”
The “Tell Your Story” campaign features real stories from young people and highlights their journey to quit vaping. The campaign educates youth and young adults about the harmful health effects of vapes and connects them with evidenced-based resources to quit, especially as they’re exposed to increased social pressure in school environments.
“Seeing the impact vaping had on my health and my family, after I got out of the hospital, I knew I had to focus on living a healthier lifestyle, and that started with quitting vaping,” said Blake Grey, a 20-year-old content creator and “Tell Your Story” campaign ambassador from Los Angeles. Grey underwent emergency surgery in 2019 when he was diagnosed with pneumomediastinum, caused by a vaping injury that burned a hole in his esophagus. “I'd tried quitting before, and it was easy to fall back into old habits. But with the support of friends and family, I was able to get into the best shape of my life and found myself in a much better place mentally as well without needing to vape.”
Recognizing the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, the new campaign uses empathy and understanding for the difficult journey young people face when they quit vaping, rather than emphasizing the negative health impacts of using tobacco.
The “Tell Your Story” campaign promotes the “I Can Quit” text message program, an evidenced-based quit vaping effort that helps support the quitting process and emphasizes how to develop and successfully practice coping strategies.
The program is centered on a desired quit date and then adjusts the content and timing of the texts, so they are relevant to the users’ phase of quitting. The text program covers topics including motivation, planning, goal setting, seeking support, self-talk, withdrawal management, recovering from slips and much more.
The annual student tobacco survey conducted by CDPH, in partnership with University of California, San Diego, assessed the use of and attitudes toward tobacco products among middle and high school students along with social and environmental exposure to various tobacco products and advertisements. Additional key findings from the report include:
Overall tobacco use (9.7%) among high school students was mainly driven by the rate of vape use (8.2%). Vape products were the most used tobacco product among students across gender, race/ethnicity, and grade.
In 2020, 11.6% of LGBTQ+ identifying high school students in California vaped, compared to the overall California high school vaping rate of 8.2%.
High school students who rated their mental health as poor had higher current tobacco use prevalence (16.1%) compared to those who rated their mental health as good to excellent (7.9%).
The vast majority of teens who vape use flavored vapes (96.2%).
Californians looking to quit can text “I Can Quit” to 66819 or visit NoVapes.org to join the free, confidential text message program.
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It received bipartisan support in both the Assembly Health Committee, 13-0, and Assembly floor, 78-0.
Additionally, both the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees supported AB 32 because telehealth services have transformed the health care delivery system, especially during a global pandemic.
Most recently, AB 32 was delayed in the Senate Health Committee because the Department of Health Care Services, the co-sponsors, and the authors made a budget agreement, which will allow current flexibilities to remain for one more year for Medi-Cal patients.
AB/SB 133, the health budget bills, are a step in the right direction and will allow our most vulnerable communities to continue to access health care services via the modality that works best for them.
“I commend both Gov. Gavin Newsom, my colleagues in the Assembly, and the Senate Budget Committee for extending telehealth services for one more year,” said Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry. “However, there is still a lot of work to be done because this is not a permanent solution. It is vital that we lock in flexibilities across modalities that were critical to people getting health services during the pandemic, collect data to ensure quality and good health outcomes, expand these services to commercial providers, and assure that providers get reimbursed appropriately. I look forward to continuing to work with the Governor and our telehealth coalition this upcoming legislative session on this important issue. Health care must not be rationed, because a healthy population is priceless, but also costs less.”
While the pandemic has led to disruptions in patient access to care, telehealth, specifically telephonic care, has allowed providers to bring care to their patients.
Patients, regardless of who they are, what insurance they have, what language they speak, or the barriers they may face, such as a lack of local health professionals, mobility, childcare, or the ability to take time off from work, have been able to receive lifesaving services.
Telehealth has transformed healthcare during the nation’s worst health crisis in a century, allowing patients to maintain timely access to care while also mitigating COVID-19 exposure.
The California Medical Association said it was pleased to see the inclusion of the telehealth flexibilities that were granted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic included in the legislative budget package and is grateful to see Gov. Newsom signed the proposal into law.
“Telehealth flexibilities have become an essential part of health care in the last year because they have enabled physicians to provide and expand care to Californians across the state throughout the pandemic, and they ensure that we can continue to meet this moment and lay the groundwork for a more equitable and accessible health care landscape,” said Peter N. Bretan, Jr., M.D., California Medical Association president.
“Telehealth has become such an important tool for physicians’ practices during this time because it allows them to provide safe and effective care to their patients. Additionally, telehealth bridges access barriers by utilizing technology to better harness physician time and expertise, and by connecting patients to their care providers more quickly, efficiently and conveniently,” said Bretan.
Bretan added that protecting the telehealth expansions, especially those that relate to telephonic visits which play a crucial role in bridging access barriers, is essential to meeting our current health care demands and expanding health care access to those who need it most.
“Signing this critical piece of legislation marks a meaningful step towards ensuring that all Californians — regardless of their geography, income or background — can receive access to quality care in the future,” he said.
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Lake County Public Health encourages you to contact your healthcare provider if you need COVID-19 testing or vaccination.
Additional Lake County resources are available at http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Testing.htm and http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm.
Testing appointments are available to all residents — parent or guardian consent is required for minors — on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Vaccination appointments are available to residents 12 years and older Mondays and Thursdays, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Appointments are required for all services.
Please call 707-263-8174 to schedule or for more information.
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That funding would allow tribal health programs to buy power generators needed to boost resilience during power outages.
Thompson wrote to the subcommittee in April 2021 asking it to include this funding in the legislation.
“Our district and our state have been hit hard by extreme weather and natural disasters in recent years, sometimes causing power outages that can have dire consequences, especially for tribal regions,” said Thompson. “When the Tribal Health Programs lose power, entire communities can lose access to health care, including lifesaving medications and vaccines. That’s why I asked the Interior Subcommittee to include funding for generators and I’m glad to see $19 million included to purchases these important devices that will save lives. I’ll work to ensure this funding is included in the final bill signed into law to help our tribal communities.”
Tribal health programs in the Fifth Congressional District that stand to benefit if this funding is included in the final bill include the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, which has a Lakeport and Middletown site as well as an obstetrics and pediatrics clinic, and the Sonoma County Indian Health Project’s Santa Rosa Health Center Site.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
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