676: How Tobacco Cultivates Young Customers, Opioid Crisis Solutions

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Friday, May 31, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

ELLEN CARTMELL: 

It's very important that youth are getting the message from their community that no tobacco product is safe.

JOHNSON: 

That's not easy. Given how much time and money the tobacco industry spends to cultivate young customers. Ellen Cartmell is the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program manager at the Kentucky Health Department.

CARTMELL: 

The tobacco industry also spends millions of dollars each year on discounts and coupons to make these products more affordable and therefore more accessible to people with limited incomes like kids who might be using their allowance.

JOHNSON: 

Even worse, Cartmell says, kids are walking past tobacco retailers on their way to and from school.

CARTMELL: 

We know that more than three-quarters of public schools in the U.S. are within a ten-minute walk of a tobacco retailer and many are much closer in my hometown, there are tobacco and vape shops just a couple school bus lengths away from the high school.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

Today is World No Tobacco Day. Learn more about the day and how your jurisdiction might leverage its dual settlement funds to promote public health by clicking the links in the show notes.

Possible solutions to the opioid crisis are outlined in a new study produced by three universities and the Boston Medical Center. Dr. Timothy Hunt from Columbia University says the HEALing Communities Study is a community-engaged, data-driven approach to the problem.

TIMOTHY HUNT: 

The model we developed is called the Communities that HEAL Intervention and it seeks to promote a common vision, shared goals, and tailored strategies to promote and mobilize communities around the evidence-based practices.

JOHNSON: 

First, Hunt says, communities should increase naloxone access and overdose hotspots and with individuals and their networks after a non-fatal overdose.

HUNT: 

Secondly, is increasing the availability of medications for opioid use disorder; that's expanding access, linking people and retaining them in care, and then ensuring that local health care facilities and prescribers are adhering to safer practices, that venues for disposing unused opioid medications are also available within that community.

JOHNSON: 

Hunt says the HEALing Communities Study, or HCS, can help jurisdictions as they decide how to invest their opioid settlement dollars.

HUNT: 

Every community is unique, but we hope that the resources we provide from the HCS will be a good starting point for the communities to determine which strategies are best to accomplish their goals and ultimately, save lives. That's what we're here for.

JOHNSON: 

Read more about the study by clicking the link in the show notes.

Finally this morning, get more public health news and information delivered to your email inbox when you sign up for ASTHO's Public Health Weekly email newsletter. Join the list using the link in the show notes.

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That'll do it for today. We're back Monday morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great weekend.