Letter to the Editor: Our biggest health crisis – tobacco

Far too many children in our county are getting hooked on poison. Stories of local schools that cannot let their kids go to the bathroom alone, due to bathroom vaping, abound. These stories show the grip tobacco has in our area. There are Barbie themed vape flavors, vapes that mimic school supplies, and tobacco priced for purchase with leftover lunch money. Clearly these products are designed for children. 87 percent of adult smokers started before they were 18. Tobacco companies know that children cannot assess risk. They have taken advantage of this for decades. Every year big tobacco’s profits grow. This growth is at the expense of our children’s lives.

We all have a choice to make. Either accept the status quo or join a growing number of communities taking action. Tobacco is the biggest cause of preventable death. Across the nation, leaders are standing up against it. They are banning use in public places, raising tobacco prices, banning flavors, and raising the lowest age of sale. These actions reduce childhood exposure to tobacco, access, and the allure of tobacco. Tobacco is our biggest health crisis today. The key to solving it is to stop children from getting hooked. Taking a stand for these changes in a rural community, that values freedom and small government, may seem daunting. However, it pales in contrast to all the things we do to ensure our kids are healthy. Actions which will be for naught if they fall victim to nicotine addiction.

Rural areas usually have double the rates of tobacco use as urban areas. However, the small government in rural counties can serve as a powerful tool to help reverse this. When it comes to making new policies, a single motivated person can often make a larger impact in a rural county than millions of dollars and hundreds of people in a big city.

To join us in the fight for our children contact Smoke Free High Country’s Project Director, Amanda Berryhill at [email protected]. For more information, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @smokefreehighcountry.