Youth Leaders at La Clinica de la Raza Explain the Impacts of Tobacco Use among High School Students

Opinion Editorial by Alexandra Winston, Alameda County Public Health Department Tobacco Control Program

Oakland, CA: “It feels like it’s always been a constant,” one of the Youth Leaders at La Clinica de la Raza explained when asked when the first time was that they saw someone using tobacco in their community. In the San Antonio neighborhood zip code of 94601, where La Clinica’s Community Health Education Center is located, the adult smoking rate is 15.5% compared to the state average of 13.8%[1]. This may come as no surprise when 86.7% of tobacco retailers in Alameda County near schools are selling candy, mint and liquor flavored tobacco products[2]. The Youth Leaders at La Clinica confirm that many high school students are using flavored tobacco products like the popular brand Backwoods Honey flavored little cigars that can be purchased for under a dollar.

When asked about how the high school and underage students are purchasing tobacco products, the Youth Leaders described “retailer hotspots” that are known for always selling to underage youth. They also talked about knowing other students whose parents smoked and would buy their kids tobacco. One Youth Leader stated, “I know a girl whose mom buys her Swishers all the time,” referring to another popular brand of little cigars that comes in a variety of flavors. Another Youth Leader described younger high school students approaching her in the park and asking her to buy tobacco for them, “I told the no, and left the park after because I didn’t want them to be mad.” Peer pressure and not wanting to appear like a “goodie two shoes” can be a big source of how younger kids have been getting their hands on tobacco products. On June 9th, 2016 California’s legal age to purchase tobacco products will change to 21. Many advocates for the new legislation argued that 21 year olds were less likely to purchase tobacco for underage teens and the Youth Leaders at La Clinica de la Raza agreed.

Finally, when the Youth Leaders where asked what they thought was the best way to stop youth from starting to use tobacco the answers were in line with many of the tobacco control advocates across the nation. Suggestions included, “raising the priced tobacco, using social media to make it not cool to smoke, educating young people and parents about addiction to nicotine, and making it against the law to sell flavored tobacco products.” In fact, cities and Counties in California are starting to take action against flavored tobacco products that attract youth. The Counties of Santa Clara and Sonoma, and the Cities of Hayward, El Cerrito, Berkeley, and Sonoma have all implemented policies that restrict the sales of flavored tobacco products. The Youth Leaders at La Clinica de la Raza’s Peer Education Program along with many other public health advocates hope that Oakland will be the next.

[1] California Health Interview Survey, Neighborhood Addition:http://askchisne.ucla.edu/ask/_layouts/ne/dashboard.aspx#/

[2] Healthy Stores for a Healthy Community Survey, 2013. http://www.healthystoreshealthycommunity.com/counties/#county-Alameda