Stop Smoking Today! Did you know that Lenawee County loses almost 150 residents each year to tobacco-related deaths?

The Lenawee YOUTH Council, a program of the Lenawee Community Foundation, in partnership with the Greater Lenawee Tobacco Reduction Coalition at the Lenawee County Health Department recently hung a clothesline with 147 shirts, each one representing a life lost.  This is our fourth year in partnership.

According to the American Lung Association, nearly 9 out of 10 smokers start smoking by age 18, and 99% start by age 26.

How many teens use tobacco products today?

3 million high school students and 600,000 middle school students smoke cigarettes.

• 1 in 3 young adults smokes cigarettes.
• 1 in 4 high school seniors smokes cigarettes.
• 1 in 5 male high school seniors smokes cigars and 1 in 10 uses smokeless tobacco.

Young people are more sensitive to nicotine. The younger they are when they start using tobacco, the more likely they are to become addicted to nicotine and the more heavily addicted they will become.

Vape pens are a fast growing phenomenon.  A study published in the JAMA, (Journal of the American Medical Association) Pediatrics, in March, shows that e-cigarette use has doubled among teens.  The study also established a link between vaping and smoking; teens who smoked e-cigarettes (even just once) were more likely to have experimented with conventional cigarettes.

The Clothesline Project encourages youth and adults to refrain from starting to smoke or finding help to quit.  The overarching goal is to keep Lenawee above the influence.

For information on the Lenawee YOUTH Council or to get involved, contact Paula Trentman at the Lenawee Community Foundation at 517-423-1729.  Visit www.lenaweecf.com or find us on Facebook to learn more about the Lenawee Community Foundation and its mission to assist individuals, businesses, and organizations in achieving their charitable goals in the areas of health, civic projects, culture, education, and social services.