On the verge of a provincial election, not many provincial updates were presented at Algoma Public Health’s board meeting Wednesday so Dr. John Tuinema, APH acting medical officer of health, took the opportunity to utter some words of appreciation for Public Health Ontario (PHO).
“Public Health Ontario has a very unique role where they provide scientific and technical advice and support clients working in government, public health, health care, and related sectors. We are a major client of theirs working with them,” Tuinema told the board.
Tuinema provided some examples of PHO’s work.
“If we were to have a major risk to a water system or a waterway that we're involved with, we can't with our budget afford to have a hydrological engineer and advanced water engineer on staff, really no health unit can.
"But Public Health Ontario, serving all of the local public health units, they can afford to have somebody on call for that type of thing. So if that happens, we rely on them for that type of expertise.”
Tuinema said PHO provides a great deal of information about various health indicators throughout Ontario.
“They have excellent graphics that can be used to see that. Anytime I have a resident coming through training to be a public health specialist, like a medical resident, I always have them go through those,” Tuinema said.
PHO data shows many northerners are not as healthy as their southern Ontario counterparts, but on a positive note Tuinema said PHO data shows Algoma Public Health is doing very well in immunizing schoolchildren - against measles for example - compared to the provincial average.
In other news from Wednesday’s meeting, a written report to the board reiterated APH’s concern about vaping among young people.
“Although we lack recent Algoma data on the number of students who vape, schools have noted that vaping continues to be an issue in our local schools," the report said.
"In Algoma in 2023-24, 37 students aged 9-17 were reported to APH for vaping on school property. Students aged 12-18 who are reported receive education from the APH Smoke Free Ontario Enforcement Officer and face fines if they reoffend. Since vapes are easy to conceal, these numbers likely represent only a fraction of students who vape.”
Vaping has become increasingly popular among youth.
“One in four Ontario students in Grades 7-12 report having tried it. Vaping poses significant health risks. Vapes often contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance that can affect memory, concentration, behaviour, thinking, and impulse control," the report said.
"Youth are at a higher risk for nicotine addiction because their brains are still developing, making it harder for them to quit. The nicotine content in vape cartridges varies, but they often contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. Among students in grades 7 to 12 who have used vapes, 84 per cent were using nicotine-based products.”
Among other tools and strategies, APH is promoting Not An Experiment, a vaping prevention tool which includes a guide for quitting. It encourages young people to understand nicotine addiction and withdrawal and set a quit vaping date.