Speaker: Youth Vaping
Cheri Sullivan, Director of CHCC, and fellow Rotarian, invited Alissa Wigglesworth to speak on the concerning rise of vaping products in middle and high school students. Alissa is one of the Tobacco Prevention Coordinators for York County. She works for Partners for Healthier Communities at SMHC, a partner of CHCC’s Project Alliance. Alissa shared the work they are doing in schools to educate youth about the risks associated with vaping, and strategies to empower youth to make healthy decisions.
In 2019, the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, (MIYHS), found that almost 30% of Maine high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. This was a 15.3% increase from the 2017 survey. Maine’s 2021 youth survey was delayed, however, locally our schools report that vaping incidents have increased.
We wanted Rotarians to be informed about how vaping is on the rise with youth in our community. Teenagers are attracted to the flavors being offered by manufacturers and may not be as aware of the amount of nicotine they are consuming, which is highly addictive. Legislation has tried to prevent vaping flavoring and marketing towards teens, but loop-holes in the laws have led to the rise in the expansion of flavors in products not as clearly defined in legislation, specifically, disposable e-cigarette’s. 4 out of 5 kids who have used tobacco products (includes vaping), started with a flavored product.
You can help by staying informed and talking to others who may not be aware of this rising trend in teens or aware of the risks associated with vaping and nicotine exposure. Encourage businesses, communities, and schools to create smoke-free policies that include vaping to promote healthy environments. And help your legislators to get the information they need to make informed decisions to support healthy outcomes for youth. To learn more you can go to www.mainequitlink.com, www.wearesidekicks.org , www.chccme.org , or email Alissa at awiggleswo@smhc.org.
