Preventative Services

Tobacco, E-Cigarettes & Smoking Cessation

E-Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes, also called “e-cigarettes,” or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), are legally sold and used for smoking (also known as “vaping”) nicotine. E-cigarettes may look like regular cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Some look like USB sticks, pens and other everyday items. In addition to nicotine, these products can also be used to inhale marijuana and other drugs.

Youth Use

Many of the new e-cigarettes look like USB flash drives and other common household devices, making them easy to conceal from parents, teachers and other adults. They are also appealing to young people because they contain flavors such as fruit, mint and mango. The flavorings used in e-cigarettes have not been tested for lung toxicity in the vaporized form.

What are the health risks associated with using e-cigarettes?

E-cigarettes are designed to deliver nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals to the user via an inhaled aerosol. Due to the name that is often given to smoking e-cigarettes – vaping – there is the belief that these devices are harmless. E-cigarettes, however, can lead to serious health problems. Most contain nicotine, as well as heavy metals and other chemicals, that can be breathed into the lungs. Bystanders can also breathe these in when the user exhales into the air. Nicotine can cause addiction in adults, adolescents and children. During adolescence, nicotine exposure can impact learning, memory and attention, as well as increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs.

For more information on the investigation of cases of severe lung illness associated with vaping in Kentucky, visit chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dpqi/cdpb/Pages/pdinfo.aspx.

What can you do?

One of the most important things we can do to prevent e-cigarette use is to educate parents and young people about the potential health risks. For more information about the harms associated with e-cigarette use, as well as tips for parents, visit: e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov

Other actions the public can take include:

• Supporting your child’s school in their enforcement of tobacco-free policies, including e-cigarettes, and implementing a tobacco prevention curriculum.
• Setting an example by being tobacco-free.

Additional Resources

For more information on e-cigarettes and vaping, visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes 

Quit Smoking

It’s never too late to stop using tobacco.

Benefits of quitting

Programs to help you quit

Northern Kentucky Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Program

Stop by your local pharmacy today!

1-800-QUIT-NOW

Quit Now Kentucky is a free tobacco cessation service to help Kentuckians quit smoking or using tobacco products.

Quit line features include:

• Support and advice from an experienced quit coach
• A quit plan that is personalized for each caller, giving them the best chance of quitting
• The latest information about medications and self-help materials that can help you quit
• Resources online and via text message
• Pregnancy/postpartum program
• FREE nicotine replacement therapy (NRT): Residents and employees in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton Counties are eligible for four weeks of FREE patches

If you or a family member use tobacco and are interested in learning more, call 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) or log on www.QuitNowKentucky.org

Freedom From Smoking

The American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking^® program is for tobacco users who are ready to quit. Because most people already know that smoking is bad for their health, the program focuses almost exclusively on how to quit, not why to quit.

To enroll in this program for free, please visit St. Elizabeth Freedom from Smoking.

My Life, My Quit

This program is 100% free, confidential and made for teens. Get the truth about vaping, smoking and other tobacco products so you’re not left in the dark when it comes to your future. Through this program, you can:

• Text your quit coach or call for support.
• Get text messages that give you a boost while you quit.
• Learn how to cope with stress in healthy ways.
• Find out why your body craves nicotine.
• Get tips and the support you need to quit for good.

For more information, visit mylifemyquit.com/

This program is 100% free, confidential and made for teens. Get the truth about vaping, smoking and other tobacco products so you’re not left in the dark when it comes to your future. Through this program, you can:

• Text your quit coach or call for support.
• Get text messages that give you a boost while you quit.
• Learn how to cope with stress in healthy ways.
• Find out why your body craves nicotine.
• Get tips and the support you need to quit for good.

More information

Kentucky Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program

QuitNow Kentucky

Smokefree.gov