Putnam Businesses Have a Place to Turn to Help With Tobacco-Free Policies
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Last month, Camp Herrlich, the children’s camp in Patterson, expanded its tobacco-free policy to explicitly ban vaping on their grounds. Vaping refers to the act of inhaling and exhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette.
Unfortunately, this is not just harmless water vapor; it is an aerosol consisting of nicotine, propylene glycol and several cancer-causing ingredients. Users are likely inhaling potentially toxic metal particles like chromium, nickel, lead, tin and aluminum.
Many of these devices contain flavors such as cotton candy, blue raspberry and pina colada, making them especially enticing for youth and young adults. Although New York passed legislation ending the sale of flavored e-cigarette devices in 2020, the products are still finding their way into the hands of young people.
Tobacco usage at any age and in any form is not safe, but it’s particularly dangerous for youth and young adults. In New York, one in five students currently use tobacco products like these, but tobacco and vape-free policies can minimize these rates.
POW’R Against Tobacco can assist all Putnam businesses in adopting or amending comprehensive tobacco-free policies at their worksite at no cost. Benefits of adopting a policy include protecting visitor, client and employee health from the damaging effects of secondhand smoke; reducing tobacco litter and maintenance costs; and promoting a positive, family-friendly image.
Visit our website, www.powragainsttobacco.org, or get in touch with Molly at molly.franco@lung.org to learn more!
Molly Franco, MSW
Community Engagement Coordinator for POW’R Against Tobacco
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