September 12 / / Activism

VAPING

Dear LREI Community,

Hello, all. I hope that this note finds you settled in, having made a successful return to school-year life. I send a somewhat different sort of weekly communication today and one that might feel more focused on the experience of families with older students, though I think it is important for all.

I write today about vaping, about e-cigarettes, Juuls, nicotine and THC.

A few facts:

  • Some recent studies suggest that nationally at least 1 in 5 high school seniors has vaped in the past 30 days.

  • Vaping nicotine or THC is illegal for high school students in New York.

  • Vaping nicotine has proven to be highly addictive to teens.

  • Vaping can affect teen and young adult brain development.

  • There are no recognized therapies for teens addicted to vaping nicotine.

At LREI we have seen an increase in the number of students we know/ think are vaping. We are assuming that more are vaping than we know about and that the percentage of students at LREI who are vaping is similar to local and national percentages, as reported in national surveys.  While I would like to comfort myself by believing that our students are not vaping at national levels, I would be doing the students and their families a disservice in doing so.

I communicate about this now as in the past months some hundreds of people have been stricken with acute respiratory illnesses related to vaping. Some have died. Some of those who have taken ill have reported vaping THC. Some have reported vaping nicotine. Some have reported vaping both.  The average age for recognized cases of these illnesses is 19. There are a number of theories about what is causing this sudden increase in vaping related illnesses and fatalities. As of now, there are no definite answers.

The Centers for Disease Control has released an “Official Health Advisory” suggesting that those who do vape stop vaping until there are answers as to why there is this sudden outbreak of illness, if, indeed, it is a sudden outbreak.  On Wednesday, President Trump announced he would seek a ban on the sale of flavored vape liquid used to deliver nicotine. Hard to predict when, or if, this will happen.

I will meet with high school students on Friday.  I will speak with seventh and eighth graders in my adolescent issues classes in the coming days, and Ana Chaney will do the same with fifth and sixth graders.  We speak about vaping a good deal in a variety of venues. It is likely that the frequency of these conversations will increase, led by in-house voices and by guests, and will be ongoing.

In my conversations with the older students, I will acknowledge that we know that some are vaping even though we would prefer they did not. I hope that the students will acknowledge that they are ignoring the quite clear evidence of the harmfulness of this practice even while some part of them knows it is the truth. We have to implore them to stop vaping, at least until it is safer, though hopefully forever.

These sorts of conversations can be confusing to children – adults acknowledging risky behavior that is more typically kept hidden in order to support student safety, while not giving permission for students to break the rules, the law, and to put their health at risk. This is a contradiction that tests the maturity of adolescent thinking.  We will have to risk this confusion in a challenging moment and work hard to keep lines of communication open, honest, and heartfelt.

If you have a younger child, it is always a good time to encourage healthy habits, finding examples of good and bad decision making to use as discussion starters. If you have a middle school or high school-aged child, please speak with them about vaping, maybe by asking about our conversations in school.  If you have a high school child who is using substances and feels out of control and in need of help, remember that they can avail themselves of the school’s Sanctuary Policy (found on page 19 of the High School Student Handbook). Through “Sanctuary” they can seek help without fear of negative consequences. This is also a time for all of us to examine how we are modeling our own healthy choices and decision making.

There are many, many news articles regarding vaping, vaping related illnesses, the marketing of e-cigarettes to children, etc. All are just a Google search away.

Here are a few interesting resources:

We thank you for your attention to this challenging issue and look forward to our continued work together in service of our children’s health and well being.
All best,

CategoriesActivism Assessment Citizenship Community Courage Creativity Critical Thinking Fours Cs Leadership Topics

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