With tobacco-free policies, adults with chronic disease have more choices about where they live, and parents no longer worry about the health effects on their children from smoke seeping into their apartment. Everyone deserves to breathe clean air. Living Healthy Washington County works in partnership with the American Lung Association to assist owners and managers of apartments and other multi-unit housing and affordable housing to provide a smoke-free policy to everyone who rents from them.
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Schools play a vital role in intervening with youth who are experimenting or using commercial tobacco products or e-cigarettes. Prevention efforts focus on providing assistance with reviewing and strengthening district commercial tobacco policy, as well as presenting prevention and cessation information for students and staff. 31% of males and 35% of females in the 11th grade had use electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days. Conventional cigarette use by 11th graders was less with 5% of males and 3% of females reporting use in the last 30 days. (source: Washington County Results of 2019 MN Student Survey)
Living Healthy Washington County assists businesses who are interested in updating policies around commercial tobacco use at work. Committing to a commercial tobacco-free workplace (buildings, grounds, and vehicles) and promoting cessation opportunities to employees can positively impact the workplace environment.
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Health care providers use their clinical expertise to help patients get well and stay healthy. Living Healthy Washington County partners with clinics to provide tobacco cessation trainings and resources for health professionals. One major area of focus is in supporting tobacco cessation in behavioral health patients.
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Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Washington County and in the nation. Preventing its use and exposure by adults and children is the only way to decrease the effects of smoking. Living Healthy Washington County promotes reputable resources and connections to help residents’ access tobacco cessation supports.
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