Talbot County is a Great Place to Breathe
Talbot County is looking back on the important role it has played in the smoke-free movement statewide in light of the current legislation which recently passed during this year’s Maryland General Assembly to ban smoking in all restaurants and bars in Maryland.
According to Kathy Foster, RN, MS, Talbot County Health Officer, “Talbot County’s smoking ban in 1995, which banned smoking in all public places but restaurants with bars, was one of the first smoking bans to take effect in Maryland. Soon after, the State of Maryland enacted a similar smoking ban, which was not as restrictive.” She adds, “In 2004, Talbot County closed the gap restricting smoking in all public buildings in the county.”
Today, 17 states and the District of Columbia have smoking bans, as do many foreign countries. The bans have contributed to lowering the smoking rates in general as people find it harder and harder to smoke in public. Nicotine, however, the main drug in tobacco, remains as one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the United States.
Foster notes, “Talbot County has fairly low rates, with the adult rate of smokers at 18 percent of the population and the youth rate at 17 percent. While the rates in our county may be lower than other counties, because of our proactive and progressive approach to smoking, tobacco still presents a health risk in the county, especially to our teens.”
Following the limiting of tobacco products to clerk sales in 2001, Talbot County was among the counties with the best cooperation in stopping tobacco sales to minors. Today, however, with tobacco companies working harder to get minors to begin smoking, health professionals in the county have to be creative in their efforts to support tobacco-free youth and to provide early intervention programs.
Jane McConnell, Cigarette Restitution Fund Coordinator, comments, “Because approximately 90 percent of all smokers began as teens or younger and significant advertising dollars are being spent on teen audiences, we have incredible work ahead of us.”
Talbot Partnership, the only organization in Talbot County dedicated solely to mobilizing the community on issues pertaining to substance abuse prevention, has resources to help parents monitor their children’s behavior in regard to tobacco prevention. For smokers, Maryland’s 1-800-QUIT-NOW phone line, provides proactive telephone-based counseling sessions. The Talbot County Health Department offers free weekly evening or lunchtime smoking cessation classes; in person and telephone counseling; self-help materials; free nicotine replacement therapies, like patches, gum, or lozenges; and free Chantix, the new wonder drug developed specifically for tobacco addiction.
Quitting is challenging, even with all the resources available. A current participant in the Talbot County Health Department’s smoking cessation classes comments, “It is miserable to wrestle with this habit, daily, hourly.” Nearly 70 percent of smokers report that they want to quit; the secret to success is to keep trying.
To learn more about Talbot Partnership’s parent resources on tobacco, visit www.talbotpartnership.org or call 410-819-8067. To learn more about Talbot County Health Department’s Smoking Stops Here Program, call 410-819-5600.
