KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
March 30, 2019
By Natalie Cook Clark
Katy ISD Police Department to team up with Tompkins High School's PTSA to bring "Vaping Unveiled," an information session on this local and national problem growing among our youth. The event is set for Wednesday, April 10 6:30-7:30 pm at the large group instruction room at Tompkins High School.
A Growing Problem Among Youth
The Surgeon General, VADM Jerome Adams, stresses the importance of protecting our youth from a lifetime of nicotine addiction and associated health risks due to an increase in youth e-cigarette use in a recent report. "We must take action now to protect the health of our nation’s young people," says Adams.
The US Surgeon General office states that e-cigarette use among youth and young adults has risen to the level of a public health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC,) nearly 1 of every 20 middle school students (4.9%) reported in 2018 that they used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days.
Topics to Be Discussed
This concern will be addressed at Tompkins High School on April 10 in addition to the following topics.
What are e-cigs/vapes/juuls
Dangers pf Nicotine and other chemicals
Vaping by numbers
Popular products among youth/teens
Local policies
What is Vaping?
“E-cigarette” refers to all the different products that deliver nicotine electronically. Consumers call them by many names including: e-cigarettes, e-cigs, cigalikes, e-hookahs, mods, vape pens, vapes, and tank systems. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can cause addiction and can harm the still-developing young brain.
E-cigarettes are banned by Katy ISD and defined as:
E-cigarette means an electronic cigarette or any other device that simulates smoking by using a mechanical heating element, battery, or electronic circuit to deliver nicotine or other substances to the individual inhaling from the device. The term includes any device that is manufactured, distributed, or sold as an e-cigarette, e-cigar, or e-pipe or under another product name or description and a component, part, or accessory for the device, regardless of whether the component, part, or accessory is sold separately from the device.
Dangers of E-Cigarettes and Other Forms of Vaping
John Hopkins Medicine warns that vaping is just as addictive as traditional forms of smoking. The many unknowns in these newer chemicals that make up the vapor also pose a great risk. “People need to understand that e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous to your health,” says Michael Joseph Blaha, MD. “You’re exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we don’t yet understand and that are probably not safe.”