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Local educators warn of teen e-cigarette use

The Daily Star - 6/2/2018

June 02--The trope of students smoking in the school bathroom has left in a puff of smoke -- replaced by a blue "on" light and a faint, fruity scent.

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, originally hit the market as a cessation tool for smokers. Now, they have become a subculture of their own, increasingly popular among teenagers and outpacing the traditional cigarette.

Schools and health officials are worried about young adults experimenting because they are marketed as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes.

Delaware Academy at Delhi High School Principal Robin Robbins said that in her four months at the school, she has seen a few students experimenting with vaping but no use of cigarettes.

According to data available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, cigarette smoking declined among middle and high school students between 2011 and 2016, while the use of e-cigarettes increased.

Among high school students, 11.3 percent surveyed nationally in 2016 said they had used e-cigarettes while only 8 percent said they had used traditional cigarettes.

Justin Hamm, assistant director for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County, along with Robbins and Delaware Academy Counselor Michelle Cleveland, developed a prevention-based program to educate students on the use of e-cigarettes and inform teachers on what to look for.

Hamm said he's been following the uptick trend of use among middle and high school students and he reasoned that kids don't realize that vaping can be potentially hazardous because of its potency and addictive quality.

"We're trying to show them it's unwise. Not a right or a wrong, just unwise for their age," Hamm said.

While not the only e-cigarette on the market, the discreet Juul is a popular brand for its sleek design and small size; it looks like a flash drive and can be charged on a computer.

Robbins said that students can charge them on their Chromebooks, which are provided to students through the school's one-to-one program, and teachers or parents wouldn't be able to tell.

"At this point, we're trying to keep up with the technology and be aware of what's out there and what some of our students may be experimenting with," Robbins said.

Students who spoke with The Daily Star under the condition of anonymity said they don't see e-cigarette use as a problem. A 15-year-old freshman from Oneonta High School said he didn't know anyone in his age group who vaped.

"People talk about them as a joke maybe but that's really it," he said.

A 16-year-old sophomore from OHS said they considered them expensive and wouldn't know where to get one. A starter pack for a Juul costs about $50, and the pods, which are the equivalent concentration of a pack of cigarettes, cost around $5 each.

OHS Principal Tom Brindley said he is aware of two students who vape, but there have not been any disciplinary problems with students on the school campus.

Robbins said that while she has witnessed only a few students, she wants to get "ahead of the trend."

"Even though it's just a few students, we want to get ahead of it because things like this catch on pretty fast these days, and we want our students to understand the choices they are making," Robbins said.

Delaware Academy will be including information on vaping in its summer newsletter to keep parents informed while students are not at school.

People get hooked on nicotine in adolescence, according to studies from the Surgeon General, and the sweet, candy-flavored nicotine products sold for e-cigarettes are alluring to underage consumers, officials warn.

Flavors such as cotton candy and Skittles seem to target younger users. In early May, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the federal Food and Drug Administration to ban e-cigarette flavors, calling them "kid friendly."

"They're very tempting to the younger students because they smell and taste so good," Robbins said. "There is the juice that is non-nicotine, and the younger kids are all trying that, but it's very unlikely to think that they wouldn't already try the nicotine."

Shannon, the owner of a Clouded Roots Vapor, a vape shop in Oneonta, said a flavor ban could possibly affect adults who turn to the alternative as a smoking cessation device.

"The flavors are kind of what gives people an out from tobacco," he said. "To me, that harm outweighs the hype of teens vaping."

For Robbins, it's a matter of prevention.

"We can help our kids by raising awareness," Robbins said. "Not knowing isn't going to help as education and helping them make better choices."

Whitney Bashaw, staff writer, can be reached at (607) 441-7218 or wbashaw@thedailystar.com . Follow her on Twitter @DS_WhitneyB .

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