On Wednesday, February 21, our school district hosted a Zoom webinar on Vaping, What Families Need to Know. This webinar discussed facts about why vaping is negative and what to be aware of when a student is addicted, or is in use of it. According to the main speaker Roland Roberts, teens say they vape for a variety of reasons, and students also had a lot of common answers when asked why. One of the biggest reasons is peer pressure, and/or to fit in. Another big reason is influence from family or friends. Some students say they just used it out of curiosity or even self medication. There are lots of different circumstances on why students say they smoke, but this all can be prevented and stopped by bringing more awareness to the situation. Countering the original question, students say they do not smoke due to a list of reasons, such as health problems, which was a common answer. Students also said they do not vape due to it being addictive, religious beliefs, and teens still maturing.
Roberts provides evidence that vapes are very misleading and have a lot more dangerous things inside them that you may not know of. A vape or e-cigarette is a battery powered device that activates a heating coil which heats a liquid into an aerosol (not a vapor). It is also considered a tobacco product even though they are filled with liquid and not leaf tobacco. According to Roberts there were lots of chemicals found in vaping. Propylene glycol used in antifreeze was found in vapes. Acetone was also found in vaping, which is used in nail polish remover. One of the biggest most harmful chemicals found in vapes is nicotine which is used in cigarettes. Roberts brought up how some short-term effects can be an eye irritation, cough, mild airway obstruction, and inflammation. Roberts states in contrast, long-term effects on vaping can have a permanent effect on developing adolescent brains, it can contribute to worse problem-solving skills, reduced attention span, and poor memory. Cannabis can cause drowsiness and worsen the functions that are critical to safe driving. These long-term effects can lead to a decline in school performance.
Later on in the webinar, after Roberts’ explanation, other district staff discussed the consequences students face, and how instead of it being a negative, it was staff wanting to help students. “When a student gets disciplined for using a vape or any drug at school there’s a follow-up with a program that parents get if more help is wanted for that student,” speaker Matthew Guzzo said. Going more in depth about helping students, speaker Christine Lobitz said, “It’s not the consequence we want to focus on, but more of to help students.” The school district understands students struggle with mental health problems and want to do everything in their power to help students as a district battle addiction.
