Written By Haley Comstock, Junior at Daviess County High School
2,758 hospitalizations. 64 deaths. As of Feb. 4, 2020, these are the statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control. These nationwide incidents are not the result of alcohol. They are the result of vaping. A widespread issue, the vaping epidemic has impacted schools here in Owensboro. According to the CDC, one out of every four high school students in the United States vape. Many people do not realize that the consumption of one Juul pod is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes. This fact has raised a plethora of concerns for parents and school administrators. The impact of the harmful substance on adolescents has resulted in United States lawmakers taking the extreme measure of creating a new law that prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21 years of age. Tobacco sales were limited to persons age 18 and older in 1986. In 2019, the federal law was revised to prohibit the sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes or vaping products to anyone younger than 21.
To combat concerns about increased usage of vaping products among students, Daviess County High School students and faculty members worked with the staff at the Daviess County Public Schools central office to create a video designed to educate students on the dangers of vaping and nicotine products. This video was featured on the DCPS YouTube Channel and Facebook page. In the video, several students shared facts about the harmful effects of ingesting vapor products. DCHS junior class vice-president Ben Robinson was featured in this video, describing the significance of teen involvement in advocating against vaping.
“[The purpose was] to help educate other students on what vaping is and all the dangers of it,” Robinson explained. “It’s a youth problem and something that requires youth initiative to help fix. We’re the ones being affected by it, so we should take it into our own hands to make a healthier future.”
Adolescents were initially drawn to these devices through the sale of a wide variety of fruit-flavored pods. Although the popular brand JUUL stopped selling these popular flavors in October, many young people had already developed an addiction to the substance. Although some people are aware of the harmful substances within traditional cigarettes, many would be surprised to learn of the dangerous ingredients within e-cigarette aerosols. These items include chemicals and dangerous metals such as formaldehyde, acrolein, nickel, lead and other toxic chemicals.
The detrimental effects of vaping are many. Among them are some of the same illnesses that traditional smokers are susceptible to, such as lung cancer and “popcorn lung,” a severe and irreversible lung disease. Not only does vaping cause harmful effects on one’s physical health, it also leads to significant emotional consequences. When the brain is in the “buzzed” state, a student’s ability to pay attention and learn content in the classroom is compromised. According to the FDA, “The types of brain changes that can occur may have long-lasting effects on attention, learning and memory.”
DCHS School Resource Officer Deputy Paul Mattingly offered insight on his experience working with students affected by nicotine products.
“When students don’t know what they are putting in their body, it’s a scary thought,” Deputy Mattingly explained. “They don’t do their research as you would in a math, English or science class [on the products they ingest],” Deputy Mattingly continued. “What I see [most] is it’s having an effect on the student’s attitudes and sometimes their demeanor. You’re putting a chemical into your body and this alters the state of how you are.”
As the development of a lawsuit is set forth from DCPS against Juul arises, DCPS’ superintendent Matt Robbins emphasized the district’s goal of preserving student welfare.
“Monetary gain is the lowest level of concern for DCPS. We feel the product is unsafe for kids and want to ensure children have far greater protections in place,” Mr. Robbins explained. “We will continue to focus on educating our students of the dangers and will be supportive of any student who is attempting to change this harmful habit.”
To promote awareness of this issue, DCHS offered a free program to educate the community on the effects and consequences to vaping products on Feb. 13. The program included a free meal catered by Real Hacienda and was open to students, parents and members of the public. The event included speaker Rebecca Horn, a health coordinator at Green River District Health Department as well as Deputy Mattingly. DCHS principal Matt Mason commented on the importance of offering educational opportunities such as this one to students and community members.
“It’s key for us as administrators to look out for the well-being of our students,” Mr. Mason explained. “It’s essential to be ahead of the curve and look out and take action where it is needed.”