The epidemic of youths vaping or the use of electronic cigarettes, has taken popular culture by storm recently, but this isn’t a problem you hear on the national news, it is also a local problem.
A vaping conference for parents was held at Emporia High School on Wednesday night to discuss the different dangers of vaping and how it affects school-aged children. Several experts spoke on the subject including Emporia Police Department Narcotics Officer Dominic Vortherms and Newman Regional Health Family Physician Dr. Jennifer Esau.
So far, there have been more than twenty cases where students have been caught with and have had e-cigarettes confiscated at both the Emporia Middle and High Schools. A majority of these cases dealt with THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most people suffering lung injuries are using vape products with some THC component. Dr. Esau says the full extent to how bad the effects can be is currently unknown.
So far, there have been two vaping-related deaths in Kansas.
All presenters encourage parents to reach out to their children in an educational way and to avoid ‘scare tactics.’ Officer Vortherms also reminds people that there are programs to help with addiction, even for children.
All officials involved warned of the health hazards, lack of FDA regulations, and marketing campaigns believed to be targeted towards children as concerns that can affect any child. More information on vaping can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/
