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Stan Carignan offered our invocation but since we were meeting in the small gym at the YMCA, there was no singing. (Acoustics are difficult in there and it just would not have done justice to our melodious voices.) Carolyn Glesne from the Sunrise Club was with us and she brought two Rotary Youth Leadership Award ("RYLA") Camp alumni from this year's event in Crookston, Amy Worum and Sara Westra, both from Underwood. Each described their most memorable experience at Camp, with Sara talking about an exercise that helped her realize her normal is not everyone's normal. Carolyn mentioned that three students and two facilitators (former RYLA students) from Battle Lake also attended this year, as did Rachel Westra from Fergus Falls. President Lori reported that Steve Andrews was the person whose baby picture we viewed last week. Stan Carignan passed around a sign-up sheet for working at its new site, 907 Aurdal Ave. (one block from the Armory), from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 22nd, while Anthony Nordan was looking to help United Way Stuff the Bus this past Friday at Bethel Lutheran Church. Keith Olson talked about peaches and then we went into brags and fines, with Mary Pettit talking about their newest grandchild, Anthony Nordan reporting he was on vacation last week, Steve Andrews throwing in scooter bucks for Greg Darling and Mike Clark and memorializing his and Meng's "last summer trip to China, and Dan Johnson commemorating his son's fourth birthday. Kathy Austvold introduced Jason McCoy, accompanied by Kelsie Tucholke, both with Partnership for Health, with Jason the tobacco prevention coordinator for Becker, Clay, Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties. Jason talked about how big vaping, or e-cigarettes, has become and the current effort to have Otter Tail County pass an ordinance prohibiting the sale of any tobacco products to anyone under age 21. Tobacco companies are continually attempting to entice younger users, creating over 7000 flavors for e-cigarettes, selling toothpicks that have been dipped in tobacco and spending $135 million in Minnesota alone on advertising last year. In 2017, one in four teens used some form of tobacco, which reflects the first increase in usage in that age category in 17 years. One in five students are using e-cigarettes, which is a 50% increase since 2014. Of those who vipe, one-third admit to also trying recreational marijuana. While tobacco use is down to 10% of the population, the increased use of vaping risks the progress that has been made. Studies indicate that 62% of high school tobacco users get their tobacco products through friends who have turned 18, while 57% of middle school users do the same. One-third of underage e-cigarette users just walk in and buy from a retail provider. One of the largest e-cigarette manufacturers, "Juul," made $15 billion last year. Vaping is only eight years old and there was no federal regulation of it until 2016; the ingredients in the product did not have to be listed until 2018. The CDC, FDA, AMA, ALA, and AHA have all filed statements saying vaping is not safe, nor is its cessation. Nearly all e-cigarettes contain nicotine, the most addictive substance on earth, worse than heroin. Nicotine harms brain development in teens. Ninety percent (90%) of tobacco users begin use before they turn 18, while 95% of adult smokers began smoking before age 21. California passed a statewide ban on the sale of tobacco products to anyone under age 21 and in one year saw a reduction of 25% in tobacco use. Other states that have passed similar laws include Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, Oregon and Massachusetts. Eleven cities in Minnesota have prohibited such sales at the local level, including Edina, Bloomington, St. Louis Park, and Plymouth). In 2014, a national survey showed that 75% of adults favor increasing the minimum age to 21, and that even 70% of adult smokers favor doing so. The effort to prohibit sales to anyone under 21 is not directed at the underage user but at how the product gets to them. In the question and comment period, Dean Monke pointed out that vaping is a real problem, as students who would have never considered smoking are now trying e-cigarettes. Keith Olson also had two questions, which the speaker described as "very interesting," one pertaining to allowing people to serve in the military when they turn 18 but trying to prohibit them from using tobacco products and the other regarding the widespread use of the internet to advertise and sell these products. Jason pointed out that the military no longer provides tobacco products to the enlisted and in fact discourages its use. There are two public hearings coming up before the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners at the Government Services Center (515 W. Fir Ave., on the State Hospital campus), one on August 14 at 1:00 p.m. and the other on August 27 at 7:00 p.m., to discuss the proposed ordinance. You can support this effort by attending one of the public hearings, wearing a (free) T-shirt in support (available at the public hearings or by request), talking to your circle of family and friends, sending a letter to your Commissioner and/or speaking at one of the public hearings. There will be opposition, so if this is going to pass, it needs strong public support. For more information and/or a T-shirt, contact Jason McCoy at (218) 299-7180 or by e-mail at Jason.mccoy@co.clay.mn.us. |
