Vaping Flavor Ban Legislation: Local Advocacy Work with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
With ongoing concerns about the health effects of vaping and increasing teen initiation and continuation rates of these products our team has made it our mission to appear and provide expertise at key legislative meetings in our region. Our team has largely worked with our local AAP Chapter 3 to provide coordinated, evidenced based messaging to policy makers. Our team was present at the Yonkers Flavor Ban Public Hearing and the council voted 7-0, being the first city in New York State to ban the sale of flavored vaping products. Several weeks later as this became discussed at the county level our team was present at the Westchester Board of Legislators September meeting to provide public commentary on the need for a county-wide ban. The flavor ban was brought to the agenda for the October meeting where our group continued to provide expert opinion to the legislators in anticipation of an upcoming vote at the November meeting.
Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival
On October 5, CEHCHV was allocated with a booth at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, a local event that attracts close to 8,000 community members with young children in the region. At our booth, our experts provided consultative services about asthma, climate change and environmental nutrition.
Not One More Life Community Asthma Event
On September 29, 2019, CEHCHV partnered with a local church in Mount Vernon to provide asthma screening to a local high-risk, faith-based organization as part of the national program called Not One More Life (NOML). Our group has supported the NOML program providing these sessions annually for the past 5 years.
CEHCHV faculty, fellows in Pediatric Pulmonology, pediatric residents from Maria Ferari Children’s Hospital, NYMC students and local AAP Chapter members join together to present at the Yonkers Town Hall Open Hearing to advocate towards further legislation of an e-cigarette flavor ban to help curtail the teen vaping epidemic.
NYMC second year medical students, Conor Murphy and Samuel DeSantis, established the first Environmental Health Student Club on campus. The faculty of CEHCHV will provide ongoing mentorship and oversight of the club to help the students maximize their academic and service potential in Environmental Health in our community.
The CEHCHV Summer Trainee Program is in full swing with an excellent group of students!
Dr. Amy Ansehl with Lindsay Farrel, CEO of the Open Door Healthcare Centers together at a local Social Determinants of Health Conference.
Several members of CEHCHV joining together at the annual NYSCheck Meeting at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Chappaqua.
Dr. Sherlita Amler, Westchester County Commisioner of Health, with CEHCHV Faculty Dr. Amy Ansehl, Dr. Allen Dozor, and Dr. Sankaran Krishnan