Category Archives: News

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Protect West Virginia’s Kids from Candy-Flavored Tobacco

By Dr. Joseph Reed

While West Virginia has made some headway in reducing cigarette smoking, tobacco use remains a huge problem in our state. In fact, the Mountain State has both the highest high school smoking rate (18.8 percent) and the highest adult smoking rate (24.8 percent) in the country.

Smoking is a key reason why West Virginia is considered one of the least healthy states, with high rates of tobacco-related conditions like heart disease and cancer. Every year, tobacco kills 4,300 West Virginians and costs us $1 billion in health care expenses.

In Upshur County, where I work, more than half the kids in 4th and 5th grade live in homes where tobacco is used. We are working through local coalitions and the health department to promote smoke-free and tobacco-free lifestyles, including electronic cigarettes. However, we can’t do it alone.

Without support from West Virginia’s elected officials, we won’t be able to make and sustain meaningful progress toward reducing the toll of tobacco in our state. It makes no sense that state lawmakers recently voted to eliminate funding for the state’s tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

Even worse, this action comes as tobacco companies are finding new ways to target our kids. In recent years, they’ve flooded the market with electronic cigarettes and cigars in a wild array of sweet flavors that sound like they belong in an ice cream parlor or candy shop. One study found over 7,700 different e-cigarette flavors, like cotton candy, bubble gum and cherry crush. Between 2008 and 2015, the number of cigar flavors more than doubled from 108 to 250.

Unfortunately, these tactics are working to increase tobacco use. Nationwide, e-cigarette use among high school students grew by 900 percent between 2011 and 2015, passing regular cigarettes as the most widely used tobacco product among kids. It is promising that youth e-cigarette use dropped in 2016, but it is too soon to know whether this is a long-term trend.

Once again, the problem is worse in West Virginia. Over 31 percent of West Virginia high school students use e-cigarettes, way more than smoke the regular kind. And over 17 percent of our high school boys smoke cigars.

To address these new challenges, West Virginia needs to step up its tobacco prevention efforts. We also need strong action by the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. Last year, the FDA issued new rules for e-cigarettes and cigars, aimed at protecting kids and public health.

But tobacco industry lobbyists are working overtime to roll back these rules. One bill they’re pushing in Congress would greatly limit FDA oversight of e-cigarettes and cigars already on the market. Another bill would completely exempt some cigars from the FDA’s purview.

Unfortunately, some West Virginia members of Congress are supporting these harmful efforts. Just this summer, Rep. Evan Jenkins voted for a House appropriations bill that included these two provisions. In addition, Sen. Joe Manchin is a cosponsor of the cigar exemption bill.

These West Virginia leaders should reconsider their positions in light of the health risks that cigars and e-cigarettes pose and their popularity with kids. Health authorities have found that cigar smoking causes several types of cancer, including lung cancer, and claims about 9,000 lives in the U.S. each year. Congress shouldn’t create a new loophole that tobacco companies would exploit to exempt some cheap, machine-made, flavored cigars that are attractive to kids.

E-cigarettes also pose health risks to kids. A recent Surgeon General’s report concluded that youth use of nicotine in any form can lead to addiction and harm brain development, with lasting effects on attention, learning and susceptibility to addiction. Several studies have also raised concerns that youth use of e-cigarettes could lead to use of other tobacco products, including regular cigarettes.

West Virginia’s U.S. senators and representatives should be working to protect kids from these new tobacco threats. We cannot let tobacco companies get away with using candy-flavored products to hook a new generation.

http://wvpublic.org/post/windows-health-care-part-2-50-years-family-medicine-joseph-reed

With the recent ACA repeal proposal advancing, we are reaching out to key states for their help in opposing the bill. In WV we are targeting  Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Senator Joe Manchin. We ask that you encourage your members to call the Senators and request that they vote no on the ACA Repeal as soon as possible. Below is contact information for the Senators: Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) Twitter Handle:  Sen_JoeManchin DC office number:  202.224.3954 Charleston office number:  304.342.5855 Eastern Panhandle office number:  304.264.4626 Fairmont office number:  304.368.0567 Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) Twitter Handle:  SenCapito DC office number:  202.224.6472 Beckley office number:  304.347.5372 Charleston office number:  304.347.5372 *not a typo they are same numbers Martinsburg office number:  304.262.9285 Morgantown office number:  304.292.2310   Following is a link to a SpeakOut that you may wish to forward to your members: http://grassroots.aafp.org/aafp/app/write-a-letter?0&engagementId=397893  We’ll be working all week to provide you with more information and resources, but wanted to send you information as soon as possible.   Thank you.

The Marshall FMRP recently completed a QI project to increase immunization awards in seniors. Attached is their Case Study; a copy of their poster which was displayed at National Conference, as well as a picture of them accepting a framed certificate at the 2017 National Conference.

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Picture from Left to Right: Hughes Melton, MD, MBA, DABDA, AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees President; Sarah Sexton, MD; Tammy Bannister, MD; and Angee McDaniel, PharmD, Field Medical Director, Vaccines at Pfizer (far right). Drs. Melton and McDaniel were the folks that presented the framed certificate to the Marshall FMRP.

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Charleston, WV – March 31, 2017 – Dilip Nair, MD a family physician from Huntington, WV was the recipient of the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians highest award – Family Doctor of the Year for 2017.  The award was presented by Philip Galapon, MD the current WVAFP President and MU Alumni.  The award was presented during the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (WVAFP) 65^th Annual Scientific Assembly held on March 30^th – April 1^st at the Embassy Suites in Charleston, WV.  

The Family Doctor of the Year Award honors an outstanding, community-minded family physician that provides compassionate, comprehensive care.  Candidates are nominated for their service as role models, professionally and personally, in their communities, to other healthcare professionals, physicians in training and medical staff.

Dr. Nair earned his doctor of medicine degree at University of Connecticut and completed residency at Marshall University School of Medicine.  He is a Professor at Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University Family & Community Health, Huntington, WV.

Founded in 1948, the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians represents more than 1,000 physicians and medical students statewide.  It is the largest medical specialty society devoted solely to primary care.  The West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians is a chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Philip Galapon, MD, FAAFP was installed as WVAFP President on March 30th at the WVAFP Annual Scientific Assembly, Embassy Suites, Charleston, WV. The installation was performed by Dr. Robert Raspa, AAFP Board Member from Fleming Island, FL.

Philip Galapon graduated from Marshall University Joan C Edwards School of Medicine in 2008 with a specialty in Family Medicine.

He became Board Certified in Family Medicine in 2011. Dr. Galapon worked for Madison Medical Group from 2011-2016 before joining Lincoln Primary Care Center in 2016.

Dr. Galapon is a life- long Southern West Virginia resident who is passionate about Diabetic care and Adolescent medicine.