Vaping is a rising trend in society, with 11% of Americans vaping, according to a 2020 Gallup poll. With this rise, a trend of injury to teens has some local school districts attempting to raise awareness.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), young adults account for the most hospitalized E-cigarette or Vaping Use Association Lung Injury (EVALI) cases. The use of e-cigarettes spiked by a whopping 78% in 2018. Approximately 3.02 million high-school students in the US vape. In 2018, the global vaping market reached $14.05 billion.
SASD
Smethport Area School District is holding a program on Vaping and discussing why it is not a safe alternative to other types of tobacco at 6:30 p.m. March 23 in the Smethport High Auditorium.
RASD
Ridgway Area School District posted an update to social media on Tuesday that stated “RASD recognizes a rise in substance abuse throughout Elk County and the surrounding areas. RASD is grateful to partner with Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (ADAS) for counseling and education programming for our students. Locally, ADAS is seeing an increase in vape violations. Across PA, there is growing concern about vapes being laced with dangerous opioids (fentanyl and heroin).”
The problem, however, does not end with vapes laced with other drugs. The post also notes that the discarded or confiscated paraphernalia can be dangerous to students and staff. As a result, Naloxone (narcan) is now safely stored at the Ridgway Area School District, in case of accidental exposure or an overdose.
The post states that information is being mailed to parents on March 18. Also, a flyer to promote public awareness was released by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
