HANCOCK COUNTY — Leaders of a task force to reduce the amount of county residents who use tobacco or vape say their efforts are having a measurable impact on the community.
During the 16th-annual Hancock County Tobacco Free Coalition’s annual luncheon, Brandee Bastin, Hancock Regional Hospital tobacco initiative coordinator, said coalition members have spoken to some 4,000 Hancock County students about e-cigarettes or vaping and its dangers in the last year.
“E-cigarettes came roaring onto the market about 10 years ago,” Bastin said.
According to the Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey, some 10.5 percent of Indiana high school students said they use e-cigarettes in 2016, the survey states.
Teens are especially attracted to the Juul brand, which comes in kid-friendly flavors like mango and creme brulee and looks similar to a USB drive, making it easy to hide, Bastin said. Juul cartridges deliver some 200 puffs, which is equivalent to the nicotine in a whole pack of cigarettes, Bastin said.
“Forty percent of kids say they’ve tried Juul or another e-cigarette,” she said. “That’s a scary thing.”
Brooke Tharp, Mt. Vernon High School vice principal, said administrators realized there was a problem with students using the Juul devices about a year ago.
The school held convocations about the dangers of using the e-cigarettes, and though administrators were unsure what kind of an effect the information would have on students, it seemed to make an impact, she said.
The suspension rate for students caught possessing the Juul cartridges dropped by 50 percent, Tharp said. Also, students began coming to her with concerns about other students using the Juul cartridges.
The luncheon celebrated several individuals whose efforts to educate and assist county residents in stopping their tobacco use have made a difference, Bastin said.
Hancock County Sheriff’s Sgt. Christine Rapp received recognition for her work to advocate for people who want to quit smoking. She began working with Hancock Regional Hospital’s then-CEO, Bobby Keen, in 2001, to help put money from tobacco company lawsuit settlements to use in the county.
Rapp said the effort has been a challenge, but a worthwhile one.
Bastin also recognized Amy Borgmann, who with her brother owns a 12-unit apartment complex that’s part of a smoke-free multi-unit housing initiative.
They decided to rent only to non-smokers after receiving multiple complaints from other residents with asthma or other issues exacerbated by cigarette smoke, she said. They were also encouraged to limit their renting to only non-smokers after several long-time residents moved out, leaving years of smoke and nicotine to be scraped off the walls during renovations, she said.
“We are a completely smoke-free facility,” Borgmann said. “There’s no smoking in the building or on the grounds; your neighbors shouldn’t have to put up with your smoke.”
Bastin said such initiatives will help boost the health of the community and encourage others to quit smoking.
She looks forward to March 25, 2019, the 10th anniversary of Hancock County’s smoke-free workplace ordinances.
Hancock County’s smoking rate, between 16 and 19 percent, is lower than the state level of between 21 and 24 percent, according to County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, a project that measures communities’ health through tracking data concerning premature deaths, obesity rates and access to fitness opportunities.
Bastin said while that ranks the county among the lowest 20 in the state, her goal is to be the healthiest in the state.
