News

Chew on This: Oral Nicotine in Our Community

Free informational seminar led by Dr. Iyaad Hasan, DNP, MBA, APRN, CTTS, The Breathing Association

Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 1:30pm – 3:00pm

741 E Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio, 43205

As part of our Quit Cold Turkey Day, a day of awareness, education, prevention and treatment of tobacco and nicotine addiction, The Breathing Association will host an informative seminar on the rapidly growing trend of oral nicotine. Chew on This: Oral Nicotine in Our Community will focus on the implications of oral nicotine use, providing leaders with the knowledge and tools to address growing concerns, particularly for our youth. Empowering community leaders, teachers, coaches, health professionals, parents and care givers with the knowledge and skills about what oral nicotine is, how it is purchased, and the health effects of this very popular and addictive nicotine product. Please reserve your spot at the link below for this valuable, free event.

Come early for the Quit Cold Turkey Day event, from 10am – 1pm we will host the public under tent in our parking lot for interactive educational displays on nicotine and tobacco addiction. In addition to Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health, fellow healthcare organizations will be on hand sharing resources for nicotine and tobacco cessation for a healthier life. We will have the well-known DJ IQ providing entertainment as well as free cold turkey sandwiches to promote ‘quitting cold turkey’.

2024-11-11T09:12:04-05:00November 11th, 2024|Uncategorized|
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The Breathing Association To Hold Quit Cold Turkey Day As Part Of The Nationwide Great American Smokeout To Promote Smoking And Vaping Cessation

On Thursday, November 21st, 2024, The Breathing Association will host their second annual Quit Cold Turkey Day in the parking lot at their office at 741 E Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205 from 10 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. This event is open to the public, meant to motivate and inspire tobacco users to begin the quit journey. Our education and treatment programs will address nicotine and tobacco addiction. The invitation has been extended to local leaders and legislators. We will feature interactive activities educating guests about tobacco addiction, as well as several healthcare organizations, including Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health with resources and information to share. Well-known DJ IQ will be there to provide music. In the spirit of “going cold turkey”, free cold turkey sandwiches will be provided.

November is an important month for lung health issues. In addition to Lung Cancer Awareness month, we also bring awareness to COPD, both conditions that could be prevented by not smoking or vaping. Whether you are a smoker or care for someone who is, you will have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists about beginning a healthier future, tobacco free.

“The Great American Smokeout provides smokers with a powerful opportunity to commit to quitting by setting aside a specific day to focus on their journey to becoming smoke-free. Our Quit Cold Turkey Day raises awareness about the health risks of smoking and connects individuals to resources that can support their cessation efforts. Additionally, it highlights the numerous health and financial benefits of quitting, empowering smokers to take control of their well-being and make a positive change.”

Dr. Iyaad Hasan, DNP, MBA, APRN, CTTS, Chief Operating Officer & VP of Operations, The Breathing Association

Quit Cold Turkey Day is The Breathing Association’s part of the much wider annual day of cessation promoted by the American Cancer Society, Great American Smokeout. Supporters of tobacco cessation for decades, The Breathing Association has been working with the City of Columbus for the last year, driving the Make It Make Sense campaign, bringing awareness and cessation to populations targeted by tobacco companies. This event is made possible with the generous support of Columbus Public Health and ADAMH.

2024-11-11T09:10:08-05:00November 11th, 2024|Uncategorized|
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Coffee & Conversation: Challenges and Strategies Related to Oral Nicotine Use

Thursday, November 21st from 8am – 9:30am

741 E Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205

As part of The Breathing Association’s Quit Cold Turkey Day, join our team for some coffee and conversations. Meet our Certified Tobacco Treatment Clinicians as we host an informal conversation about the growing trend of oral nicotine use for primary care providers. Join us in our clinic at 741 E Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205 on Thursday, November 21st from 8am – 9:30am to talk about fostering a supportive network and sharing experiences and solutions. The use of oral nicotine is a concerning trend among our youth and together we can share solutions for prevention and education of the effects of usage.

As part of our day of cessation, from 10am – 1pm we will host the public under tents in our parking lot for interactive educational displays on nicotine and tobacco addiction. In addition to Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health, fellow healthcare organizations will be on hand sharing resources for nicotine and tobacco cessation for a healthier life. We will have the well-known DJ IQ providing entertainment as well as free cold turkey sandwiches to promote ‘quitting cold turkey’.

2024-11-11T09:09:20-05:00November 11th, 2024|Uncategorized|
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Quit Cold Turkey Day: A Day of Tobacco & Nicotine Cessation

Thursday, November 21st
The Breathing Association
741 E Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43205

As part of the National Day of Cessation, The Great American Smokeout, promoted by the American Cancer Society, The Breathing Association will host Quit Cold Turkey Day, a daylong event to motivate, inspire and bring awareness as we educate, share prevention and treatment techniques for tobacco and nicotine addiction. The event will be in three parts:

Coffee & Conversation: Challenges and Strategies Related to Oral Nicotine Use

8:00am – 9:30am

Our Certified Tobacco Treatment Clinicians will host an informal coffee and conversation about the growing trend of oral nicotine use for primary care providers. Join us in our clinic to talk about fostering a supportive network and sharing experiences and solutions. The use of oral nicotine is a concerning trend among our youth and together we can share solutions for prevention and education of the effects of usage.

Quit Cold Turkey Day

10:00am – 1:00pm

This event is open to the public, meant to motivate and inspire tobacco users to begin the quit journey. Our education and treatment programs will address nicotine and tobacco addiction. The invitation has been extended to local leaders and legislators. We will feature interactive activities educating guests about tobacco addiction, as well as several healthcare organizations, including Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health with resources and information to share. Well-known DJ IQ will be there to provide music. In the spirit of “going cold turkey”, free cold turkey sandwiches will be provided.

Supporters of tobacco cessation for decades, The Breathing Association has been working with the City of Columbus for the last year, driving the Make It Make Sense campaign, bringing awareness and cessation to populations targeted by tobacco companies. This event is made possible with the generous support of Columbus Public Health and ADAMH.

Chew on This: Oral Nicotine in Our Community

Free informational seminar led by Dr. Iyaad Hasan, DNP, MBA, APRN, CTTS, The Breathing Association

1:30pm – 3:00pm

From 1:30pm – 3:00pm, we will host an informative seminar on the rapidly growing trend of oral nicotine. Chew on This: Oral Nicotine in Our Community will focus on the implications of oral nicotine use, providing leaders with the knowledge and tools to address growing concerns, particularly for our youth. Empowering community leaders, teachers, coaches, health professionals, parents and care givers with the knowledge and skills about what oral nicotine is, how it is purchased, and the health effects of this very popular and addictive nicotine product. Please reserve your spot at the link below for this valuable, free event.

2024-11-11T09:07:21-05:00November 11th, 2024|Uncategorized|
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It’s Time for a Change

I looked forward to writing the November article to fit the “Thanksgiving” theme. The CDC’s “Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students-National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024”, Morbidity and Morality Weekly Report, /October 17, 2024, certainly gives us reason to be thankful. It shares that youth use of nicotine products has continued to decline yet adds that comprehensive and sustained evidence-based tobacco control strategies are needed. That is what I was planning to focus on. However, I recently received an email from a young man I had the privilege of formally working with. He emailed me asking if I could help or give him any direction in his time of need. He mentors and is the “Big Brother” of a young man who finds himself in a difficult situation. He was caught at school with a vape and then a vape was found in his car on school property. He is now facing expulsion.

As a former school administrator, I appreciate that schools are the “front lines” of our youth’s substance use and are uniquely positioned to identify and support students who may be addicted to nicotine or at risk of addiction. Schools can design their education and disciplinary practices to help prevent youth from starting and offer supportive approaches when students are caught using nicotine products. The CDC said, ” The most effective approaches to help students quit tobacco use are through counseling and education. “We must move away from the old mindset of zero tolerance policies and adopt appropriately structured “alternative-to-suspension” programs that incorporate cessation strategies and guide students toward quitting nicotine products while remaining in school.

The use of expulsion and suspension is shown to increase the likelihood of negative educational outcomes. These outcomes include lower test scores, higher dropout rates, and reduced likelihood of postsecondary education.  It is important to understand that according to the U.S. Department of Education, there is a significant difference in the use of punitive discipline based on race and ethnicity of students. Black students are much more likely to be suspended and expelled. Moving away from punitive discipline and focusing on supportive approaches will have the benefit of supporting student academic achievement, improving health, and decreasing inequities.

It’s time for a change.

2024-11-06T16:34:07-05:00November 6th, 2024|Bruce Barcelo|
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Things Aren’t Adding Up

I remember so well when I was an elementary school principal. I would love to drop by classrooms as students worked together with their teachers on math problems. Sometimes, a problem was a bit tricky, and the teacher had to help the students add it. Let me give you a problem, and let’s see if it adds up. First, I need to give you the structure of our problem. Commercial tobacco products must submit to the FDA a Premarket Tobacco Product Application for every product they wish to have on the market. The FDA has received millions of applications and only approved 27. Only 4 of them are flavored products. The FDA provides “authorization” for these products not “approval” as it does for food, drugs, and devices. None of the 27 authorized e-cigarettes have been authorized as a modified-risk tobacco product. It’s important to note that companies did not apply for a modified risk either. Why? They do not have the evidence to prove that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to combustible cigarettes or that they are an effective tool for quitting smoking.

None of the 27 authorized e-cigarettes are “disposable” or “single-use” vapes. This is an important concern not only for public health but for environmental reasons as well. With six disposable vapes being sold every second in the United States, the discarding of these products presents a significant environmental challenge. Once the e-liquid runs out, these devices contain a lithium-ion battery glued to them, which makes them nearly impossible to safely remove or recycle. The environmental toll of these products is a major concern.

Now, understanding all this, let’s solve this math problem. The FDA has approved only 27 e-cigarettes, and of those, 4 are flavored. Today there are over 9,000 flavored e-cigarettes available in the United States, sold in gas stations, corner stores, grocery stores, vape shops, and bars, all illegally.

How does that add up?

2024-11-06T16:31:38-05:00November 6th, 2024|Bruce Barcelo|
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WHAT’S NEXT?

There have been multiple iterations of vaping devices over a relatively short span of time. The first commercially successful electronic cigarette was developed by Hon Lik, a pharmacist from China in 2003. The first generation of commercially successful electronic cigarettes were the “cig-a-likes”. The second generation of e-cigarettes were “box” or “mods” because you could modify your device. The third, and most impactful generation, was the pod. This is when in 2015, the Juul e-cigarette was introduced. The fourth generation and where we currently are, is the disposable e-cigarette. Within this generation, we have the development of synthetic nicotine, and now, 6-methyl synthetic nicotine the FDA doesn’t yet have authority to regulate.

I have gone through the iterations because it is important to see how this industry is always evolving. Sometimes, it is to evade the federal government and sometimes to keep consumers engaged and curious. They know youth are always looking for the next big thing to try and post on social media. That is where this newest evolution is coming from.

I give you the interactive disposable vape. These products have touch screens, animated displays, and built-in games. One company sells a disposable vape that has three retro games, one being Pacman. Another has a roulette wheel that the owner spins. They can earn points that can be submitted for prizes. So now we need to be concerned about a youth having a nicotine addiction and a gaming addiction. There is now the first Bluetooth disposable vape being sold. I purchased one to see if it works as advertised. I was able to name the device, “BAB”. Put a picture of myself on BAB. Put BAB in another room and track it. The last one I will mention does several things. Every time you puff, you earn food to feed your virtual pet. In another game, count your puffs so that you can submit your score on social media for rankings and win prizes. (Does this concern anyone?)

Friends, this is just the beginning. Interactive devices that have addictive substances in them. They could not be targeting youth, could they?

2024-08-12T09:51:30-04:00August 12th, 2024|Bruce Barcelo|
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CONTACT

The Breathing Association
741 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43205

Telephone: (614) 457-4570
Fax: (614) 457-3777
Email Address: heap@breathingassociation.org

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