Dual use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes negatively impacts abstinence likelihood

A new study confirms what previous data had proven: e-cigarettes are not effective cessation devices. According to results published in ERJ Open Research, A smaller proportion of individuals who used both e-cigarettes and cigarettes achieved nicotine abstinence vs. individuals who used only cigarettes or only e-cigarettes, showing the complications dual usage can bring to cessation.

“In addition, while long term health effects of vapes need to be studied further, the double exposure to large amounts of nicotine and toxicants from both conventional cigarettes and vapes are a great concern for public health,” Josef Hamoud, of the University Medical Center Gttingen in Germany, said in a press release. To read more about the study, click here

North Dakota Media Notices TFND and Partners Quit Week Efforts

There’s been a significant amount of media coverage surrounding Quit Week from TFND and our partners. We are so thrilled with the attention everyone is getting for this worthy cause! Below is a growing list of the media coverage received so far:

New Zealand will ban disposable e-cigarettes in a bid to prevent minors from taking up the habit

New Zealand is taking decisive action against disposable e-cigarette products. CDC data show disposable products are the overwhelming choice for kids and they cause significant harm to the environment.

To read the full article, click here.

WHO: Tobacco use falling, urge countries to invest in helping more people to quit tobacco

A new World Health Organization (WHO) shows 60 countries are on track to reduce tobacco usage from 2010-2025 by 30 percent or more. The report also says investment in evidence-based practices like funding quitlines (among other cessation practices) could help more than 150 million people quit. To read the report, follow the link.

KX News: Help available for tobacco users

KX News interviewed TFND about the upcoming #QuitWeek2021. You can read the full article by clicking here.

PuffBar Defies FDA Order and Brings Products Back to Market

Puff Bar was ordered to take their products off the market by the FDA. They’ve brought them back in an effort to skirt FDA regulations and get youth hooked on nicotine. Read more about their move in this Wall Street Journal article.

Foster County Passes Tobacco Free Park Policy

Congratulations to Foster County for passing a tobacco free parks policy! These policies are critical to ensure every North Dakotan breathes clean air in public places. Thanks to all parties and the commission who worked so hard on to make this happen. To read the policy, click here. 

CNN: The fight against Covid-19 should also be the fight against tobacco

This story was posted on CNN’s website on June 3. The opinion piece was written by Kelly Henning, the director of public health at Bloomberg Philanthropies. She’s also a former professor of infectious disease at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and served as director of the Division of Epidemiology at the New York City Health Department.

 

Community Readiness Survey Shows Startling Concerns About Tobacco in North Dakota

The 2019 Community Readiness Survey of North Dakota is showing adults across the state are deeply worried about tobacco use, particularly among youth.

Just a few numbers in the survey show:

  • 3 out of 4 (75 percent) of ND adults believe tobacco use is a moderate or serious problem among youth.
  • Nearly 92 percent of adults don’t believe kids should be using e-cigarette products
  • Nearly 57 percent of adults say the tobacco taxes in North Dakota should be increased, something that hasn’t happened since 1993.
  • 82 percent of people say e-cigarettes should be taxed at the same rate as other tobacco products

To read the full survey, click here

ABC23: Family warns of symptoms and health dangers of vaping

This story was posted on ABC23’s website on April 14. ABC23 serves Bakersfield, California. The original link to the story can be found here

Family warns of symptoms and health dangers of vaping

Posted at 8:41 PM, Apr 14, 2020

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — This past march 16-year-old Ryker Schamblin had a cough along with nausea and vomiting for about a week. So, his parents took him to urgent care where he got an x-ray, doctors thought he had pneumonia and prescribed standard medications and sent him home.

A few days later Ryker hadn’t improved and was still having trouble breathing, so they took him to the emergency room.

“Immediately kind of thought it was a COVID to be honest with you. He had the clinical picture of a COVID presentation,” said Mark Schamblin, Ryker’s dad.

Ryker was immediately admitted into the intensive care unit. He was put on oxygen, and given an x-ray, CT scan and was tested for COVID-19. After his first night in the ICU his breathing worsened, and doctors said he had acute respiratory distress syndrome also known as ARDS. The next morning doctors told his parents his x-rays were ten times worse and he needed to be intubated immediately.

“As dad it’s a nightmare. I’ve said often times if there’s one thing that could break me it would be losing a kid or losing him. So, as a dad it’s painful and as a doctor who’s seen these things sometimes go the wrong way, you can’t help but panic that he’s not going to come out of it,” said Mark.

Ryker’s doctors began some treatment but were waiting for the result of his COVID-19 test to ensure the next best course of treatment. The hospital even sending the COVID-19 test out of town to get faster results.

His test came back negative but while the nurses prepped Ryker for the ventilator, they found a clue that lead to the right diagnoses, vape pens.

Ryker was placed on a RotoProne bed, used to treat acute respiratory distress. Part of the bed treatment required him to be placed facedown for 16 hours. His family said it was hard to sign off on the treatment once they saw the risks which included, facial disfiguration, blindness and skin wounds.

“That was the hardest part was while he was on the RotoProne bed because we couldn’t see him,” said Dana Schamblin, Ryker’s mom.

After eight days of being in a medically induced coma and a series of breathing tests, Ryker finally began to recover.

His parents said they took pictures because, “We wanted him to be able to see them and see what he went through. I mean our word versus – pictures speak for themselves,” said Dana.

Ryker is home now recovering, he lost 30 pounds in the hospital and said he never thought this would happen to him. He also hopes he can let other people know the danger of vaping.

“Just don’t do it. You don’t want to go through that, you don’t want to see your parents cry, you don’t want to see any of that there’s no point,” said Ryker.