Local Effort Aimed At Kicking Tobacco Habits
Sonora, CA — Two Tuolumne County groups are offering incentives to kick tobacco habits this Thursday as part of the Great American Smokeout, an annual event led by the American Cancer Society.
The Tuolumne County Public Health Tobacco Control Program, in partnership with the Tuolumne County Blue Zones Project, is asking people to take a pledge to quit smoking, vaping, chewing, and other forms of tobacco.
Anyone who does so, and drops off a pack of their cigarettes, a can of chew, or vape device and/or liquid, will receive a $10-$20 gift card (depending on the value of the product given up). Participants will also receive referrals to local resources, and an oral hygiene quit kit.
The products can be dropped off at the Blue Zones Office at 31 North Washington Street, Thursday (November 17), from noon-5:30pm.
According to the Tuolumne County Public Health Department:
An estimated 40,000 Californians die each year from tobacco-related diseases, while many others experience painful conditions and reduced quality of life. Unfortunately, Tuolumne County and the surrounding region have the highest rate of smoking and tobacco use in California, when compared with other regions. In the rural Northern and Sierra counties of California, approximately 18.3% of adults use some form of tobacco, while the state average is only 12%.
A new generation of tobacco users is also becoming addicted to the nicotine in common vaping devices, many of which contain a higher nicotine content for a lower price than cigarettes. According to the 2021 California Healthy Kids Survey, 7% of local 7th-grade students regularly vape; by 11th grade, around 21% of local students regularly vape. These local rates are much higher than the average for California (4% for 7th grade and 11% for 11th grade).
