Ampla Health is the latest health organization in Yuba-Sutter to establish a 100% smoke-free campus. They join Sutter Health and Fremont-Rideout in setting the standard for a clean air environment for employees and visitors to their facilities. "Ampla Health is committed to enhancing the health and well-being of the people in the six-county communities it serves, by promoting quality health care and the prevention of disease," said CEO Benjamin Flores. The new policy, which took effect February 14, 2013, states: "To establish and maintain a safe environment, all Ampla Health property, parking lots, rented facilities and operated vehicles will be a tobacco/smoke free environment that is safe from fire hazard and exposure to second-hand smoke for patients, employees, visitors, volunteers, and students."

A team of staffers, led by Director of Clinical Services Cindy Snelgrove, met regularly for several months to plan for the transition. The team included both smokers and non-smokers, and was supported with technical assistance from Sutter County Tobacco Control Program staff.

"It is difficult to argue against such a policy with an entity that provides medical care. After all, we all know smoking is harmful to our health," continued Flores. So far, "compliance with the Tobacco/Smoke Free Environment has been very good," he added.

Several staffers applauded the change. "I am totally for it," says one. "It's going to help a lot of people." "Not just us," added another," but also the patients, like all the babies that come in. When there was smoking, as you came out [of the facility], you were breathing it in." The U.S. Surgeon General has declared that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Around the nation, more and more healthcare facilities are adopting voluntary 100% smoke-free campus policies, reinforcing their steadfast mission to promote and protect health. Smoke-free healthcare facilities aid in community, employee, and patient cessation efforts; lower facilities maintenance costs; and increase worker productivity.

Despite many achievements in tobacco control and prevention, a recent article in the Scoop Newsletter discusses new challenges tobacco control faces in continuing to keep youth tobacco free both statewide and in Sutter County.

Scoop Volume 2 

YUBA CITY – California Department of Public Health released the state’s first “State Health Officer’s Report of Tobacco Use and Promotion” which showed new data related to cigarette consumption declines and the millions of dollars and lives saved. Since voters passed the 25 cent tax on cigarette sales in 1988, several milestones have been made in tobacco control; most notable is the 50% decline in adult smoking rates. The California Tobacco Control Program’s efforts in tobacco control have resulted in over one million lives saved and $86 billion dollars in health care costs have been averted Lung cancer rates have declined nearly 4 times faster in California than the rest of the nation.

Press Release 

A recent article published in the fall 2012 issue of Me & Mine Magazine discusses local findings related to tobacco and youth. The article entitled Tobacco and Teens illustrates the findings from data collected locally through teen focus groups, community surveys and key stakeholder interviews and local tobacco stings. The address of the article can be found below.

• http://www.meandminemagazine.com/online-edition/

For more information about these findings contact Ericka Lansdon

The mission of the Sutter County Tobacco Control Program is to improve the health of all Sutter County residents by reducing illness and premature death attributable to the use of tobacco products.

Sutter County Tobacco Control is a program of chronic disease and health disparities that works to increase awareness of the health risks of tobacco use. Sutter County Tobacco Control also works to counter pro-tobacco influences, reduce tobacco sales to youth under 18, refer smokers to cessation programs and assist communities to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke.

Sutter County Tobacco Control Program offers free quit-kits and educational materials to the community. The Tobacco Control staff conduct presentations in the community, participates in community events, provide merchant education trainings and in-store visits, and provides technical assistance to local business that wish to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke through policy implementation.

The Tobacco Control Program fosters and involves a community coalition, the Substance Abuse Steering Coalition (SASC), to engage in grassroots community mobilization activities that promote social norm changes and educate the public about health issues related to tobacco use and tobacco industry strategies that promote tobacco use.

• Substance Abuse Steering Coalition

Unfortunately, Sutter County residents are not as healthy as we could be. More and more, we find ourselves dealing with chronic diseases, like diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease. This 18 minute video, Looking at Chronic Disease in Sutter County, was developed to give viewers up-to-date information on the challenges we face in 2012. You will see not only that Sutter County is not doing as well as California as a whole, but also that there are many factors contributing to poor health. Please watch this presentation and ask yourself, what you can do to help Create a Healthier Sutter.

• Video: Looking at Chronic Disease in Sutter County
  For a copy of this video email Ericka Lansdon.

Fact Sheets

• Sutter County - Tobacco, Just the Facts 
• Sutter County - Reducing Youth Access to Tobacco 
• Sutter County - Chronic Diseases, Just the Facts 
• Sutter County - Obesity, Just the Facts 
• How can I make changes to Create a Healthier Sutter? 

Health Education & Promotion Coordinator:	Anne Westlake
Phone Number:	(530) 822-7215 ext. 240
Health Program Specialist:	Ericka Lansdon
Phone Number:	(530) 822-7215 ext. 247
Health Program Specialist:	Tina Lavy
Phone Number:	(530) 822-7215 ext. 262
Address:	1445 Veterans Memorial Circle Yuba City, CA 95993