Although the Federal Drug Administration has previously called youth vaping “an epidemic,” many still see it as harmless.
The Indiana Department of Education in collaboration with the Indiana State Department of Health will be hosting a workshop to teach local parents, teachers and students about the dangers involved with vaping.
The workshop, which has been held around the state at various other high schools, will be coming to Seymour High School on March 24.
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There will be two sessions. The first will be from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and only is open to staff and local specialists. The second session will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. and be open to the public.
The presentation will provide data related to youth vaping, address vaping devices and include discussion on model policy for schools to combat vape use on school grounds.
Lin Montgomery, public health coordinator for the Jackson County Health Department, laid out her concerns with teenagers vaping.
“The concerns are that people don’t know what they’re ingesting, so the package may say no nicotine, but we already know that’s not always the truth, so there’s the concern about nicotine,” she said. “There’s also the concern about the chemicals that they’re ingesting, just the vape aerosol and everything there, but also what they’re blowing out. It’s basically the same concerns that we have with cigarettes.”
The issue of vaping among teens became prevalent in 2018 alongside the rise of Juul, an e-cigarette brand. Juul creates e-cigarettes that are about as small as a USB flash drive.
Montgomery said brands like Juul target their advertising to young people by showing younger people using their products in ads.
According to the Jackson County Health Department, another way the advertising targets young people is by using terms like “discreet” to describe their products. This type of language appeals to young people who may want to hide such a product from their parents.
As Juul grew in popularity, it encouraged more and more young people to try it with the belief being it was harmless.
Another reason for its popularity with youths is the fruity, candy-like flavors like mango and mint.
In January 2020, the FDA announced a ban on the sale of flavored vape pods, except for tobacco and menthol flavors. This was done in direct response to the rise in teenage vaping.
Additionally, because of the small size of the device, kids were able to easily bring them into schools and use them there, making it a social thing for everyone to do together.
Vaping is dangerous for teenagers for many reasons, including the level of nicotine used in these products. According to Juul, one of its pods contains the same level of nicotine as 20 cigarettes.
Additionally, according to the FDA, those who vape are at increased risk for severe respiratory illnesses.
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What: Vape education and prevention regional training
When: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. March 24 (only open to Seymour High School staff and local specialists) and 6 to 8 p.m. March 24 (open to the public)
Where: Seymour High School’s Earl D. Prout Auditorium off of Community Drive in Seymour
Cost: Free
Information and to register: Visit www.doe.in.gov/sebw/vape-education-and-prevention-regional-training
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