NOTICE: Proposed 2024 Fee Changes and Upcoming Public Hearing Environmental Health Programs

/

Proposed 2024 Environmental Health licensing fees will be adjusted as allowed by code.

Board meetings are held at the Highland County Health Department, 1487 N. High St., Suite 400, Hillsboro, Ohio and begin at 9 AM. If a meeting date must be changed, the new date will be posted in the local newspapers. Upcoming Board of Health Meetings:

Proposed Fee Schedule HERE

September 28, 2023* : A public hearing for the purpose of oral comments on the proposed fees will be held at the start of the meeting.

October 19, 2023: Comments on the fees can also be made at this meeting.

*Written comments may be mailed to the Board of Health at the above address and must be received no later than September 25, 2023.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Highland County Health Department at (937) 393-1941.

Sincerely,

Anna M. McCoppin, R.E.H.S.

Director of Environmental Health

Vaping and Tobacco Use in Students

/

Tobacco Use in Teens is Increasing

For Immediate Release

1/26/2023

The Highland County Health Department recently wrapped up our latest Community Health Assessment (CHA) report.  This report includes results from our community health survey, as well as information from a variety of other sources about the health of Highland County.  

One area that CHA workgroup focused on in particular is the 29% adult tobacco use rate in Highland County, which is significantly higher than the national average of 16%.  County specific tobacco use rates for teens are harder to come by, but state trends in teenage tobacco use are concerning.  

According to key findings from the Ohio Department of Health’s most recent study of 3,000 students (grades 6-12), tobacco use among middle and high school students in Ohio increased 88% from 2016 to 2019.  Specifically, the study found that middle school students saw a 125% increase in tobacco usage, while high school students saw a 52% increase.

One of the most concerning trends identified in the study is the widespread use of e-cigarettes (vaping, vape pens, juuls, etc.) among Ohio teens.  E-cigarettes were found to be the most commonly used tobacco product among both middle and high school students in Ohio.  The study found that 11.9% of middle school students and 29.0% of high school students in Ohio use e-cigarettes (any use within 30 days of taking the survey was counted for this value).

 

This increase in tobacco and e-cigarette use among Ohio teens is consistent with national trends, which have seen a sharp rise in youth vaping in recent years.  This increase is a cause for concern and highlights the need for continued efforts to educate youth on the dangers of tobacco and e-cigarette use. 


The Highland County Health Department will be working with local school districts and community partners this year to address this issue.  If you have suggestions on how we can work together to address this issue, leave us a comment on social media.  www.facebook.com/highlandcountyhealth

Sources: https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/b17cb12d-8de9-4fc5-96b0-26ced4f5ccb3/YRBS_YTS+Governor+Report_final_02.24.2020_.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_K9I401S01H7F40QBNJU3SO1F56-b17cb12d-8de9-4fc5-96b0-26ced4f5ccb3-n-dwE8o


https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/explore-health-rankings/ohio/highland?year=2022


 

 

2022 Highland County Community Health Assessment Survey Data

/

Follow the link below to review the preliminary data from our 2022 Highland County Community Health Assessment. If you have any input or questions, please reach out to Hannah Humphrey (hguilkey@highlandcountyhealth.org). Stay tuned for upcoming meeting dates regarding the Community Health Assessment results and the next steps for our county. These meetings will be open to the public! Thank you for your participation!

Click HERE for data