Health Department

Teachers and Parents: That USB Stick Might Be an E-cigarette

E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students.Some e-cigarettes don’t look like tobacco products, so some kids use them unnoticed in schools, including in classrooms and bathrooms.

  • The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.
  • Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.1 
  • E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine.

Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.Diverse students and teacher in a classroom environment.             

An increasingly popular e-cigarette, called JUUL, is shaped like a USB flash drive.JUUL delivers a high dose of nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development.   News outlets and social media sites report widespread use of JUUL by students in schools, including classrooms and bathrooms.                    


JUUL is a brand of e-cigarette that is shaped like a USB flash drive. Like other e-cigarettes, JUUL is a battery-powered device that heats a nicotine-containing liquid to produce an aerosol that is inhaled.

  • All JUUL e-cigarettes have a high level of nicotine. According to the manufacturer, a single JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.2 
  • News outlets and social media sites report widespread use of JUUL by students in schools, including classrooms and bathrooms.
  • Although JUUL is currently the top-selling e-cigarette brand in the United States, other companies sell e-cigarettes that look like USB flash drives. Examples include the MarkTen Elite, a nicotine delivery device, and the PAX Era, a marijuana delivery device that looks like JUUL.
  • Additional information about USB-shaped e-cigarettes and actions that parents, educators, and health care providers can take to protect kids is available at CDC’s Infographic(https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/infographics/youth/pdfs/e-cigarettes-usb-flash-508.pdf) [PDF – 1.2MB]
  • Illustrations of the different e-cigarette devices such as JUUL, Mark Ten Elite and PAX Era.

12 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season

                                                                              Hispanic family building snowman

Brighten the holidays by making your health and safety a priority. Take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy—and ready to enjoy the holidays.

  1. Wash hands often to help prevent the spread of germs. It’s flu season. Wash your hands with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds.
  2. Bundle up to stay dry and warm. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: light, warm layers, gloves, hats, scarves, and waterproof boots.
  3. Manage stress. Give yourself a break if you feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and out of control. Some of the best ways to manage stress are to find support, connect socially, and get plenty of sleep.
  4. Don’t drink and drive or let others drink and drive. Whenever anyone drives drunk, they put everyone on the road in danger. Choose not to drink and drive and help others do the same.
  5. Be smoke-free. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke. Smokers have greater health risks because of their tobacco use, but nonsmokers also are at risk when exposed to tobacco smoke.
  6. Fasten seat belts while driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Always buckle your children in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt according to their height, weight, and age. Buckle up every time, no matter how short the trip and encourage passengers to do the same.
  7. Get exams and screenings. Ask your health care provider what exams you need and when to get them. Update your personal and family history.
  8. Get your vaccinations. Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year.
  9. Monitor children. Keep potentially dangerous toys, food, drinks, household items, and other objects out of children’s reach. Protect them from drowning, burns, falls, and other potential accidents.
  10. Practice fire safety. Most residential fires occur during the winter months, so don’t leave fireplaces, space heaters, food cooking on stoves, or candles unattended. Have an emergency plan and practice it regularly.
  11. Prepare food safely. Remember these simple steps: Wash hands and surfaces often, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods to proper temperatures and refrigerate foods promptly.
  12. Eat healthy, stay active. Eat fruits and vegetables which pack nutrients and help lower the risk for certain diseases. Limit your portion sizes and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. Also, be active for at least 2½ hours a week and help kids and teens be active for at least 1 hour a day. Read More

State Septic System Replacement Program

The Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 (L. 2017, c. 57, Part T) established the Septic System Replacement Fund to provide a source of funding for the replacement of cesspools and septic systems in New York State. This grant program (the “Program”) seeks to reduce the environmental and public-health impacts associated with the discharge of effluent from cesspools and septic systems on groundwater used as drinking water, as well as threatened or impaired waterbodies. Silver Lake and Java Lake have been identified as threatened or impaired waterbodies in Wyoming County. Click here to see a complete program summary.

If your property is located next to one of the identified waterbodies and you wish to participate in this program, please complete the online grant application.

Health Insurance Enrollment

You may be eligible to apply for health care coverage if your income falls below the 200% federal poverty level or if you have a qualifying event such as loss of health insurance, divorce death etc. Call Wyoming County Health Department (585) 786-8890 and speak with one of our Certified Navigators for more information or if you need to renew your Medicaid, Child Health Plus or Essential Plan. Read More….

Pay Your Environmental Health Related Fees & Invoices Online

In addition to paying your Environmental Health related charges by check, you now have the option to pay online with a credit or debit card using GovPayNet. For this service a small processing fee will be added to your transaction. If you would like more information please review GovPayNet Fee Schedule and GovPayNet Terms of Service prior to paying.

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