BRISTOL — School Administrative Unit 4 Superintendent Stacy Buckley discussed her concerns about student “vaping” with the Newfound Area School Board on Dec. 10, telling them administrators know of as many as 30 students, from sixth grade up, who are using electronic cigarettes.
“It’s at the sixth-grade level, so it’s only a matter of time before it gets to the elementary level,” she told the board.
Buckley said administrators are trying to figure out how to deal with the problem, and think they need to start with parent education.
E-cigarettes are ostensibly designed to help adults cut back on smoking, and are considered less harmful than cigarettes, although there has been little research into the long-term health effects of vaping devices, despite being on the market since 2007.
Most devices heat a flavored solution that includes nicotine, allowing users to inhale the vapor. Some concerns have been raised about the units themselves and whether the vapor may contain chemicals from the materials in the container. Of greater concern is their use by teenagers who might avoid cigarettes because of their known health risks, but think that the e-cigarettes are safe.
Buckley said many teens don’t believe there is any nicotine in the devices, which offer a variety of flavors to make them more attractive.
Newfound is not alone in worrying about teen usage of e-cigarettes. Of particular concern is the Juul pod, which is small and resembles a flash drive for computers. It is hard to detect, allowing teens to surreptitiously use the Juul during classes. Each pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes and, while it does not contain many of the other chemicals that make cigarettes so dangerous, it can cause nicotine addiction.
On Dec. 18, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams took aim at e-cigarettes, especially the Juul, saying that parents, teachers, health professionals, and government officials must take “aggressive steps” to keep children from using e-cigarettes. He said the nicotine can impact learning, attention, and memory, as well as leading to addiction.
The government has estimated that 3.6 million U.S. teens are using e-cigarettes, which represents one in five high school students and one in 20 middle schoolers.
It is tough to take on a $6.6 billion business, with the Juul estimated to hold 75 percent of the market. Adams said Juul’s liquid nicotine mixture is specially formulated to give a smoother, more potent nicotine buzz, which poses special risks for young people.
Buckley said the liquid in the devices also can contain ingredients from marijuana and, while they give off a distinctive smell, the vapor dissipates more quickly than smoke.
As for apprehension, she said that, in order for the police to do anything about it, the students must have it in their possession when confronted.
“We feel we need to take a strong stance on this,” she said.
