Q's Health News

New federal law raises the minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age. On December 20th, 2019, the President signed legislation raising the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age. According to the Food and Drug Administration, tobacco (nicotine-containing products) is considered any product made or derived from tobacco and intended for human consumption and used in any tobacco-containing device including “hookah, e-cigarettes (vapes), dissolvables, smokeless tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, and future tobacco products that meet the statutory definition of a tobacco product.” (Reference: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/mtupp/tobacco21).

Tobacco is a big deal, not because it is big money. But because it causes big health problems! Smoking-related health problems are the leading causes of preventable death. There are so many issues caused by smoking and second-hand smoke and many are made worse by smoking such as asthma, heart disease, strokes, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, pregnancy, and vision.

One of the significant problems that we hear about with smoking is chronic obstructive lung disease or COPD. With COPD, less air flows through the airways of your lungs, which are the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs, because of one or more of the following: the airways and tiny air sacs in the lungs lose their ability to stretch and shrink back; the walls between many of the air sacs are destroyed; the walls of the airways become irritated and swollen; and the airways make more mucus than usual, which can clog the airways.

Initially, someone with COPD may only have mild symptoms, such as shortness of breath when walking. However, as COPD worsens, the symptoms become more severe. The person with COPD can have a cough that never goes away or a cough that produces a lot of mucus, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and wheezing (Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/copd.html).

There is NO cure for COPD! However, the first step in treating COPD is to STOP smoking and avoid second-hand smoke. After that, your doctor will prescribe other treatments as necessary such as breathing treatments, inhalers, oxygen, exercise, and other lifestyle changes. These treatments are life long however, because, again, there is NO cure for COPD. One can live with COPD, but it is not always high quality, because people with end stage COPD are often seen gasping for air even when speaking. They must wear oxygen all the time every day. They can not walk far without stopping to take a breather.

I hope that raising the minimum age of sale of tobacco products will dissuade teenagers from smoking and we will have fewer young people starting. If they do not start young, they are less likely to start at all. Then in the future, that will mean fewer people with COPD, and more people living with a higher quality of life and spending less money on health care.

However, if you currently use tobacco and want to find out information on quitting, there is information out there! Check out “quitnowmontana.com” or call 1-800-Quit-NOW. You can also see your healthcare provider for information. The sooner you quit the better your chances are for avoiding health problems.

Thanks for joining me again! I am out of town right now attending clinical for my graduate degree, but usually, you can find me in my office at Carter County Public Health. However, you can always reach me at [email protected] or call me at 406-775-6332. Have a healthy and happy day!