TEEN VAPING, Update on An Epidemic

1)The US Surgeon General issued an urgent Advisory on E-cigarette Use (a/k/a Vaping) Among Youth on Tuesday, December 18, 2018:

“I, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, VADM 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. 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.

KNOW THE RISKS. TAKE ACTION. PROTECT OUR KIDS. 2019, the US Surgeon General.”

2) Local Reaction. On the heels of a new report showing an unprecedented spike in the number of teens who use electronic cigarettes, the state’s top health official says it’s a problem that needs immediate attention.“The report shows us is that there is a sharp increase in the prevalence of nicotine vaping among our young people,” says Dr. Monica Bharel, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health. “E-cigarette use by youth and young adults is really a public health epidemic right now.”

One person not shocked by the new data is Dr. Swannie Jett, Brookline’s director of health and human services. He says it’s been obvious for years that teen vaping rates are on the rise. “It’s a cheaper product and people seem to think it’s less harmful, even though it does still contain nicotine,” he says, adding that the industry is “crafty and innovative” in its product designs and marketing. In his view, combating the problem requires educating parents and cracking down on vendors that sell vaping products to minors. “We need a stronger campaign to educate parents about vaping” because some e-cigarette devices look like “something you plug into your computer,” he says, and many parents might not even recognize an e-cigarette as a vaping device. “And we have to become stronger on some of the compliance checks we do at the local level,” he says.

3) Wednesday, December 19, 2018, New York Times runs two articles on vaping: “Addicted to Vaped Nicotine, Teenagers Have No Clear Path to Quitting;” and “How to Help Teenagers Quit Vaping.” https://www.nytimes.com/…/18/hea…/vaping-teens-nicotine.html, From the New York Times article, a section on how to help teens quit vaping:

“For starters, parents should recognize that they are confronting an addiction to nicotine, which is hard to break.

“You just found your child’s empty vaping pods. Now what?

Don’t panic. Also, don’t go ballistic.

Before you confront, educate yourself.

“What are good resources?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a useful website on what the federal government currently knows about vaping and e-cigarettes.

The Tobacco Prevention Toolkit, by researchers at Stanford, has a major unit on vaping and Juuls. It is not just for educators: Frequently updated, it has photos, charts and points of discussion that may help you engage your teenager.

“Now that I’ve got some facts, what’s next?

Try to see e-cigarettes from the perspective of teenagers. They know that on the scale of all things forbidden, lots of substances — prescription and street drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, to name a few — rank far higher than vapes. While adolescents are canny enough to hide their Juuls from you, they don’t really believe that vaping is harmful.

So if you unleash an angry outburst, they will likely push back, thinking you are making a big deal over nothing.

Also realize that the defensiveness and fibbing you’re hearing may not be just a child reacting to being caught — the sort of behavior that earns consequences and stern lectures. This is different.”

4)Brookline parents who would like information about getting help for a child who is vaping may contact the Brookline Health Department’s prevention team at Brookline High School, Mary Minott and Kendall Jones, 617-713-5155.

5)Useful sites:

https://med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolk…/E-Cigs.html

https://www.cdc.gov/…/basic_informat…/e-cigarettes/index.htm

Food Code Revised

On September 12, 2018, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health amended 105 CMR 590.00: State Sanitary Code Chapter X: Minimum Sanitation Standards for Food Establishments to include sections of the 2013 FDA Food Code with amendments made by FDA in 2015. The amendments were published in the Massachusetts register on October 5, 2018 and became effective upon publication.

Follow link to new Food Code and Revisions

Recall Update: Romaine Lettuce

Please be advised of the following: Romaine Lettuce Recall Update

CDC is advising that consumers, retailers, and restaurants not eat, serve, or sell any romaine lettuce harvested from the Central Coast growing regions of Northern and Central California.

Read the follow-up announcement: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index.html

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Pat Maloney at (617) 730-2303.

Full Press Release

FDA Additional Information