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The Ross County Health District is seeking input from the community on how members feel about tobacco use in the community, particularly in regard to second-hand smoke in public spaces.The health district recently uploaded a community survey to its social media.
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"This year the Ross County Health District received a grant from the Ohio Department of Health," said District Community Health Specialist, Kim Hardesty. "The purpose of the grant is to create social change in the norms to decrease initiation and the use of tobacco, and to decrease to community exposure to second-hand smoke, and to increase to use of cessation services."
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The survey seeks information on public perceptions on how community members feel about second-hand smoke and smoking in public spaces such as parks as well as the local school and college campuses, and within multi-housing residences such as apartment complexes. Ross County generally sees higher rates of tobacco use and illnesses associated with tobacco use than the rest of the state and Hardesty says that's something they hope to change.
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"Ross County has a higher rate of tobacco use than the rest of the state," said Hardesty. "We have high rates within all of our population, the general adult population and higher rates in youth smoking, and also with pregnant moms. We also have a lot higher rates of lung cancer, COPD and other respiratory illnesses related to tobacco use."
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If you'd like to take the survey, follow the link HERE. Or visit the Ross County Health District facebook page HERE. It takes less than five minutes and is completely anonymous.
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"It's an anonymous survey," said Hardesty. "There are some demographic questions such as age groups, but there are no personal identifiers at all."
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Paper copies of the survey are available by contacting the Ross County Health District.