Missing bathroom doors — The growing tobacco crisis in Lassen County

Imagine you are in high school, and you need to use the restroom during class.

You ask the teacher for a pass, and she looks at you hesitantly, then sighs. She gives you the pass, and you head to the bathroom. When you get there, you notice the bathroom has no outer door. You go in and are immediately hit with a strong artificially fruity smell. You realize every stall is occupied by a student who is vaping. You really need to use the bathroom, but you don’t want to get in trouble for vaping, so you head back to class frustrated.

Lassen County has this problem. Our youth are constantly exposed to tobacco products and vaping devices. Several schools report significant issues with student vaping, leading to drastic measures, such as the removal of bathroom doors, and everyone in the vicinity of vaping odors being accused. Yet this has not solved the issue. Smoking and vaping rates in rural communities like Lassen County are significantly higher than national averages, stressing the urgent need for strong smoking cessation programs. Despite California’s law restricting tobacco purchases to ages 21 and over, tobacco use remains high, with 9.6 percent of rural youth reporting use in the 2023 California Youth Tobacco Survey. Many underage individuals still find ways to purchase vapes from various sources, including shops, friends and online, making them disturbingly accessible. The use of these products is increasingly common among high school, middle school, and even elementary school students. Educators and parents alike are concerned about the ease of access to these products and the lack of effective measures to curb their use. Vaping is especially prevalent among youth who are multiracial or identify with other genders.

California’s adult tobacco use rate has decreased to 9 percent, yet Lassen County’s use rate is 17 percent, nearly double that of the rest of the state and tied for the second highest rate with Modoc and Del Norte counties.

We have an 18 to 20 percent higher lung cancer death rate than urban areas. Factors like limited healthcare access, economic hardships, and the aggressive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry contribute to this growing crisis. When we normalize and ignore tobacco use, we only allow the problem to grow worse. Lassen County is among the unhealthiest in the state, ranking 49th in California for Health Outcomes (length and quality of life), and 36th for Health Factors (behaviors) according to the 2022 County Health Rankings for the 58 Ranked Counties in California. Tobacco use is significantly contributing to our health challenges.

There are 31 tobacco retailers in Lassen County, 15 of which are in Susanville, five in Westwood, three each in Janesville and Doyle, two in Herlong, and one each in Standish, Spalding and Bieber. Most tobacco retailers in Susanville are located along a 1.5 mile stretch of Main Street. Six of those retailers are within 1,000 feet of a school. More than half of them also sell vaping products.

Cities and counties can limit the number of tobacco retailers by population size. For instance, Sonoma County restricts the number of tobacco retailers in its unincorporated areas to one per 2,000 residents. Oroville has a restriction for retailers whose primary business is tobacco sales, and limits those to one per 4,000 residents. There is one tobacco retailer per approximately 600 residents in Susanville, an alarmingly high number compared to many other California counties. Some places also have zoning restrictions preventing tobacco retailers from being located within 1,000 feet of primary or secondary schools.

Tobacco addiction is a problem caused by a multibillion-dollar industry. It is important for everyone to be aware that these products are addictive and dangerous. The health of our communities is at stake, and we need to take immediate action. By prioritizing smoking cessation and supporting initiatives that address tobacco use, we can work towards a healthier future for everyone, where our schools can have bathroom doors again.

The Smoke Free High Country Project of the California Health Collaborative is funded by the California Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Branch to provide education and help advocate for tobacco prevention in Lassen County. The project partners with other tobacco programs in agencies such as Lassen County Public Health, Lassen County Office of Education, Lassen County Sheriff’s Department and the Susanville Police Department. These programs all provide tobacco education to the community, specifically youth, parents, and educators.

The project is also working to encourage health care and behavioral health providers to offer treatment and support quit attempts. We assisted Lassen County Behavioral Health and the Lassen Indian Health Center in becoming a smoke-free campuses and to include and enhance tobacco treatment in their services. The project promotes quitting resources, such as the free service called Kick It CA kickitca.org/. Since the Smoke Free High Country Project began, referrals in our region have increased by 26 percent, marking a significant rise from historically low levels.

A free text message intervention called This is Quitting has also been proven to increase the chances of helping teens to quit vaping. Teens and young adults can text DITCHVAPE to 88709 to receive free quit vaping support from the program.

For more information on how you can support smoking cessation efforts or to get involved in local initiatives, contact Chrissy Adams at cadams@healthcollaborative.org

California Health Collaborative, 25 Jan Court, Ste 130 Chico, CA 95928