Joint Press Release:
St. Mary’s County Public Schools
St. Mary’s County Health Department
LEONARDTOWN, MD (May 16, 2023) – The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD), in partnership with St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS), is hosting an informational session for youth, parents, and staff about the health effects of tobacco and vaping. This event will be held Wednesday, May 31, 2023 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. at the Spring Ridge Middle School-Based Health Center. A virtual option is available for those who cannot attend in person.
Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Margaret Williams, Tobacco Control Program Coordinator at SMCHD, will provide the presentation and be available to answer questions.
Topics include:
- Addictiveness of Nicotine
- New and Emerging Tobacco Products
- Effects of Vaping on the Body
- Tobacco Marketing and Counter-marketing
- SMCHD Health Resources
- Community Resources
“The health department works closely with key partners and community members to reduce tobacco use, exposure to secondhand smoke, and vaping,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County Health Officer. “We welcome this partnership with the public schools and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to share information about the health impacts of vaping and nicotine addiction.”
“St. Mary’s County Public Schools is committed to educating our students about the health risks associated with all forms of tobacco use and we are thankful for the proactive partnership with the St. Mary’s County Health Department,” said Dr.J. Scott Smith, Superintendent of St. Mary’s County Public Schools. “Subject matter experts, such as Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, help us all understand the harmful impact of nicotine on our young people.”
To register to attend this presentation, please click here. Registration is not required but is highly recommended.
To learn more about free tobacco cessation programs that assist community members with quitting smoking, visit the SMCHD website at smchd.org/tobacco.
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Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, MHS is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a physician in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He is health equity faculty lead for the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity for the Johns Hopkins Health System. He is the co-director of Medicine for the Greater Good, an initiative aimed at teaching physicians the science of community engagement while training community health workers and lay health educators. He is the co-author of the book series, “Building Health Communities through Medical-Religious Partnerships” and over 90 research articles on community engagement and its impact on health and health equity. He is the Director of the Tobacco Treatment and Cancer Screening Clinic.