Page 36 - April 2023 Issue.indd

Tips, Classes and

Programs to help
ealth orner
you live healthier!
H C

acetate. It only degrades when under that feed the larger aquatic animals
severe biological circumstances, like like rockfish, oysters, and crabs, which

being exposed to sewage. More oft en, can affect our food chain.
cigarette butts just break into smaller
Young children may mistake cigarette
Toxic Tobacco Trash pieces which get into the water and butts on the ground or the sweet
soil.
By: Heather Grove, BSN, RN scents of e-liquids as candy or food
Tobacco companies have a long and poisoning can result.
Take a walk down the street, through history of exploiting people and the
a park or on a beach and you are Please join us in helping to raise
environment with their products.
bound to see it…cigarette butts, vape awareness about the toxic tobacco
With the rise in usage of electronic
pods, cigar tips, and even cellophane cigarettes and vaping products the trash problem and provide another
wrappers and packaging. All of these good reason to quit smoking or not
waste produced is a concerning
items are trash that is generated from environmental threat. start at all – for the health of our lungs,
tobacco products. our community, and the environment!
Vapes contain an array of metals,
Environmental clean ups consistently If you are thinking about quitting,
circuitry, single use plastics, batteries
report cigarette butts as one of the check out these resources to help
and chemical residues from e-liquids.
most picked up items. Oft en thrown E-cigarette devices and their batteries you commit to quit! Maryland
on the ground or out the window of a Tobacco Quitline 1-800-QUIT-NOW;
can contain lead and mercury.
car, folks may not realize the depth of smokingstopshere.com; smokefree.
E-cigarette waste isn’t biodegradable

their toxicity. Cigarettes are harmful, even under severe conditions. Th ere is gov and This is Quitting mobile app.
not just to the human body but to our
little guidance from manufacturers for
environment as well. April is Oral Cancer
safe disposal of products when they
Carelessly discarded cigarette butts are no longer usable. Awareness Month!
can start fires and endanger the Marine and land wildlife as well as More than 54,500 men and women

environment. in the USA will be diagnosed with
household pets, may ingest toxic
When cigarette butts are discarded tobacco trash which can cause illness Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer
on the ground their toxins, including or death. Tobacco trash also harms our this year according to Th e American
arsenic, cadmium, nicotine, barium, waterways. It is carried by storm runoff Cancer Society. 11,500 people will die
and copper can leak into the into streams and rivers that feed the of this disease. A regular oral cancer

environment. Cigarette filters are made Chesapeake Bay. The chemicals that examination by your oral health
from a plastic material called cellulose leak into the water from tobacco trash professional remains the best method
are lethal to plankton and small fi sh to detect oral cancer in its early stages.
Be mindful of early symptoms!

Your mouth is one of the body’s most
DOT/CDL
important early warning systems. It
is important to be aware of the signs
and symptoms listed below and to see
MEDICAL EXAMS
a dental professional if they do not
Complying with New
improve or disappear after two weeks:

Government Requirements
• A sore or irritation in the mouth
or throat that doesn’t go away
FMCSA Certified Physician
Prompt C.E. Jensen, MD • Red or white patches, pain,
Service Competitive tenderness or numbness in
Price 410-924-8560 mouth or lips

Evenings and Saturdays by appointment
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