Article submitted by Jamie Fleury, The Pilot News Staff Writer
PLYMOUTH — World “No Tobacco Day” is held every year on May 31 to raise awareness about the harmful and life threatening effects of tobacco use. The theme for 2022 is “A threat to our environment.” which comes from cultivation, production, distribution, and waste.
This year, Annette Haining, Marshall County Tobacco Education Coordinator – Saint Joseph Health Systems and Jalysa Gibson, Youth Program Coordinator of the VOICE Grant Tobacco Initiative with Community Health at Saint Joseph Health Systems, are leading a group of volunteers to pick up littered cigarette butts from River Park Square through downtown Plymouth Tuesday at 1 p.m.
Those butts will be displayed in the front window of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce office along with a display for the Breathe Easy Marshall County Alliance and the Marshall County VOICE Program.
Haining and Gibson updated the Plymouth Common Council on the local effort to combat tobacco use among adults and teens.
Haining reported that in Plymouth alone there are over 30 retailers who sell tobacco products. “Studies show that cigarette butts are the most littered items on earth.” Cigarette butts contain toxic chemicals including lead and arsenic. It can take up to ten years for most cigarette filters to decompose. “The filters alone are very potent.”
Reports on in.gov show that 23% of adults in Marshall County smoke. Smoking and the impact of second hand smoke leads to untimely deaths, smoke related illness including lung cancer, cardiovascular issues and asthma, and an economic burden to the State of Indiana of over $6M.
That number does not include teenagers among the youth population who are vaping. Haining reported that a recent study in 2021 showed a ratio of 1 to 9 students who vape.
Gibson promoted awareness and prevention in the Marshall County school system through a program called VOICE; a youth-led empowerment group to eliminate and prevent youth vaping and tobacco use. “I am guiding a group of students who want to advocate for smoke free, especially when it comes to vaping. We all know that teenagers, students, tend to listen to their peers rather than listening to parents, adults and things like that.” The team creates events and presentations to educate, spread awareness and advocate for prevention.
City of Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter noted that the United States has spent billions of dollars to combat the tobacco industry. “I appreciate that. However, in some states, and it’s coming here too – you can smoke all the marijuana you want to and that blows my mind.”
Gibson validated that the question regarding the potential legal use of marijuana is raised frequently but she doesn’t have full jurisdiction to cover that topic with the students. She said that if she is able to obtain that education through the Teaching Beyond the Classroom (TBC) Grant she may be able to tackle that topic more efficiently. “That is a discussion that is happening.”
Haining said that Project Hope Consortium of Marshall County does address marijuana use.
More information about the programs can be obtained by contacting Haining by phone at 574-948-4988 or by email at Annette.Haining@sjrmc.com.
