We work to keep the Burlington community informed of the dangers associated with misuse of alcohol and other drugs and of effective prevention strategies. We provide education and support to community leaders and policy makers to help them make informed choices that support community health. We help raise awareness of substance use trends and information and connect people to resources. (Check out the Resouce Hub on this website!) Our social media pages, as well as our ParentIN campaign, BHS Elevate campaign, and our quarterly newsletter are just a few of the ways we get information out in our community.

Substance use trends are changing all the time and it can be hard to keep up. BPHC staff are available to bring information about drug and alcohol issues and prevention to local organizations, groups, and young people. Reach out on our Connect with Us page if you are interested in working with or bringing in our staff for a workshop related to a substance use issue.

A key part of our work is to reduce factors in the environment that are making it harder for people in our community to make healthy choices. Educating and advocating for sound public health policies is an important part of preventing substance misuse and addiction.

The earlier people start using substances, the more likely they are to develop problem use. In fact, 90% of people who develop a substance use disorder started using before the age of 18. Advertising and easy access to substances has been shown to increase underage and high-risk use. The substances that kids almost always start with are alcohol, tobacco and cannabis because they are more accessible and often viewed as safer. Use of these substances is also often normalized in the media and our community. Studies show that children are more likely to smoke when they live or go to school in neighborhoods with a high density of tobacco retailers, and often communities of color and/or low income neighborhoods have more retail density, leading to greater health inequities.

Recommendations for Burlington based on the best science available to help reduce youth use and high-risk use for adults

• Encourage language in the Burlington Comprehensive Plan that makes a commitment to supporting health and wellness through community design, local policy, and infrastructure

• Limit potency of addictive substances and prohibit kid-friendly products

• Create alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis free retail zones near schools and other places kids gather

• Prohibit use in public and at family-friendly events

• Prohibit adult-only advertising in locations accessed by kids

• Limit the density of adult-only retailers in a given area

• Require clear warnings and disclosures on labels and at stores – including information about the health risks of use

• Require child-resistant packaging on products

• Increase local option taxes and use the funding so support education and prevention funding

• Collect data on cannabis to help monitor and respond to impacts on kids and increases in use rates

Healthy Retailers

BPHC is available to support stores that are vital parts of our neighborhoods to create a healthy atmosphere for the youth in our community to succeed. Big Alcohol and Tobacco companies often strategically place their ads to be seen by the youth of the community without regard for our community values. We are available to help stores to address the placement, advertising and access to adult products and to ensure youth are not negatively impacted.

Recommendations for retailers to help reduce underage use and negative impacts on youth:

• Place tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis products and ads above 3 ft

• Ensure adult-only products are not placed within 3 feet of candy, gum or youth items

• Post health warnings about substances in prominent locations

Building a Healthier Burlington Story Map

We created this interactive, Burlington-specific website with maps, visuals and data we hope will help policy makers and community members protect youth and cultivate a healthy and equitable community. Check out our Building a Healthier Burlington Story Map!

The facts are clear, secondhand smoke is dangerous. According to the Surgeon General’s Report, “There is NO risk free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.” Our coalition works to educate the Burlington community about the significant health risks of exposure to secondhand smoke. We created visuals to emphasize what the research tells us – that even breathing in secondhand smoke for a short period of time has an immediate negative health impact.

BPHC works with local businesses, multi-unit housing, public spaces and event planners to increase the areas in Burlington that are designated as “smoke-free zones.”

Reach out if you are interested in using any of the following resources we provide:

• Smoke-free event signs - We offer the use of smoke-free event signs to borrow and put up for your local event.

• Smoke-free campus signs - The VT Dept. of Health offers FREE metal signs in different sizes to promote the smoke-free or tobacco-free areas of your properties. They can be customized with your business logo!

• Support for landlords and property managers - Studies have shown that a smoke-free housing policy can save anywhere from 2-7x on the turnover costs of housing units. There are also savings on property casualty insurance and it reduces the risk of fire hazards. Plus, residents want to live in a smokefree environment (only 18% of Vermonters smoke and only 14% of Chittenden County residents!), thus making your unit more marketable than ever!

• Quit kits, buttons, and brochures - we offer resources that you can use to provide cessation support for tenants, staff or community impacted by your efforts.

• Sample policies, toolkits, and other resources that outline the steps to implementing smoke or tobacco-free policies and events.

The facts are clear, tobacco use carries health risks and secondhand smoke is dangerous. Tobacco use is still the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US and is one of 3 behaviors that lead to 4 chronic diseases that result in 50% of all deaths in Vermont. While the rates of cigarette smoking in the US declined from 42% in 1965 to 13.7% in 2019, some groups smoke more heavily or at higher rates. These populations tend to be those who experience inequities in multiple areas of their lives, including those at lower socioeconomic levels, American Indians/Alaska natives, African American/Black communities, LGBTQ communities, those in the military, those with behavioral health conditions, and others.

Alternative devices to use tobacco, such as electronic vaping products, cigars, pipes, and hookahs are very much on the rise. It is important to know that there is no “safe” way to smoke tobacco or use nicotine. The youth of this generation are being targeted by an industry that needs replacement smokers. Tobacco industry products kill people, so they need to actively recruit new young users to maintain a customer base. Right now they are using flavored electronic vape products to do it.

We see it as our moral responsibility to connect people to resources and support to help them quit using tobacco. We work with local partners to get information about how to quit and the resources to help to the communities they serve. We also provide Quit Kits chalk full of tools and tips to make the quit attempt easier.

If you work locally and would like 802Quits or My Life My Quit brochures or Quit Kits for your business, program, or organization reach out and we’ll get you get what you need. Our staff are also available to help if you want to talk through how to get the people you work with the support they need.

FREE VERMONT RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE QUIT USING TOBACCO PRODUCTS

• 802Quits.org is an awesome resource that offers tips, free resources, and individuals quit coach support for adults in Vermont

• MyLifeMyQuit is a text based program for VT teens to get help with quitting smoking or vaping. Teens can text "Start My Quit" to 36072 or go to mylifemyquit.org to chat with an online coach.

Are you a health care provider? Check out the "PROVIDERS" section of 802Quits.org!

Health care providers have more influence on a patient’s decision to quit tobacco and e-cigarettes than any other source. This section of 802Quits.org has easy-to-use info for you and easy-to-share information to direct your patients to the resources they need to quit. And it has free materials you can order to put up in the office or hand out to patients! Check it out at 802quits.org/providers.

Started in 2009, our Roots of Prevention Awards Celebration has continued to be an inspiring and energizing way to recognize individuals, programs, and organizations supporting health and wellness in Burlington. This annual event recognizes changemakers across our city whose work and volunteerism improve the community in ways that help combat the causes and consequences of substance misuse. Nominate someone for an award and Learn More →