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Area School Districts Reviewing Tobacco Policies

Several area school districts are reviewing their tobacco policies in regards to vaping products. P-J photo by Jordan W. Patterson

As vaping and electronic cigarette use among many youths have been declared an epidemic by the U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams in December, school board of education members across Chautauqua County are reviewing updates to its tobacco policies specifically with vocabulary regarding vaping products. Most schools have observed the rise of the mechanical tobacco systems firsthand.

“I think they think it’s not as serious,” said Maureen Donahue, superintendent of Southwestern Central School. “It’s flashy. It’s new, and I think they think there’s not dangers to it and there’s serious dangers.”

While cigarette smoking is on the decline among middle and high school students, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, school districts have had to adapt to the rise of vaping. The CDC observed 15.8 of high school students reporting to have smoked in the past month in 2011, but in 2017, the percentage had dropped to 7.6.

Despite the decline of the traditional method of smoking tobacco and nicotine, the use of nicotine continues to rise with e-cigarettes as its vehicle.

“We’re having some conversations about it. We’re very concerned with what’s going on with it,” Donahue said. “I think it’s a countywide, statewide and nationwide (issue).”

In the code of conduct at Southwestern, there are various repercussions in different levels of severity.

The device is confiscated and depending on the situation, students are handled accordingly.

The dilemma is present at Jamestown Public Schools as well.

“We also see a tremendous increase in the usage of it and the popularity particularly in the last year,” said Ben Drake, JPS director of athletics and health department coordinator. Drake pointed to the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s reporting that vaping has seen significant increases among teens.

According to the CDC’s National Youth Tobacco Survey, high school students currently using e-cigarettes was 20.8 percent in 2018, up from 11.7 percent in 2017.

Despite the positive impact of reduced cigarette use, Drake maintained that regardless of how nicotine is ingested it is harmful.

On Friday, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb threatened e-cigarette companies about marketing toward youth stating that they face an “existential threat” if the marketing continues.

“I’ll tell you this, if the youth use continues to rise, and we see significant increases in use in 2019, on top of the dramatic rise in 2018, the entire category will face an existential threat,” Gottlieb was quoted by NBC News.

The FDA proposed stricter policy guidelines to prevent youth from accessing fruit-flavored tobacco products and even banning menthol in cigarettes in 2018.

The vaping industry has received threats from other agencies as well. In New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been battling with the now declared “epidemic.”

He recently said raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco or nicotine products to 21 statewide is being considered. In Chautauqua County, individuals are already required to be the age of 21 to purchase tobacco or nicotine products.

Cuomo approved a 10-cent per mL tax on liquid contained in vapor products and electronic cigarettes in 2017.

Recently, it was announced that a Cuomo-backed plan would raise the age to 21, prohibit the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes in pharmacies, prohibit displaying related products if children are allowed access and give the state Department of Health the power to ban flavored e-cigarette liquids.

“I think the big thing is education,” Drake said. “A lot of kids think that it’s harmless.”

A part from nicotine, the Surgeon General warns the vapor products may contain harmful substances that include heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and ultrafine particles “that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs.”

“I think that it’s just one of those things that culturally has taken off,” Drake said. “Kids view it as the cool thing to do and that it’s fairly harmless and not risky. But at the same time they’re partaking in something that they probably shouldn’t.”

Drake said the youth’s rationale to using vapor products and e-cigarettes is the belief that they aren’t as bad as using cigarettes.

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