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E-cigs are newest teen trend




E-cigs are newest teen trend

E-cigs are newest teen trend

One of the latest teen trends is the use of e-cigarettes by middle and high school students.

The FDA said the problem has become so widespread; an estimated 10.7 million underage teens have used or tried the products.

According to Sumner County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Vines with the department’s School Resource Officer Division, up to 20 students have been caught with the devices in this calendar year; most from high schools.

“It’s definitely the new fad – they are more into that than they are the cigarettes,” he said.

One of the more popular e-cigs is the ultra-slim JUUL that can easily be concealed in a pocket.

“We are seven weeks into the new school year and we are already seeing several cases found with the JUUL,” Vines said. “The JUUL is shaped like an USB thumb-drive and typically creates less smoke and they are more discreet.

“They can be taken into schools and they are harder to see. They are not very pungent in that small of a capacity; occasionally you may get a whiff of some kind of fruity smell.”

 

Some vaping CBD oils

But it’s not just the regular e-cig vaping juices that are going into these products, Vines said. Some of the students are using CBD oils, as well as other aftermarket oil products.

“They are so versatile – you can load them with CBD oils and vaporize those with JUUL to get high or get a sense of euphoria,” Vines said. “The biggest danger is that you usually get a higher level of THC contact (vaping the oils) than with your (marijuana) plant.”

One local e-cig business – Foghog Vapors in Gallatin, doesn’t sell the JUUL because of its popular appeal to teens.

“We don’t sell JUUL for that reason,” employee Robert Porter said. “We have a lot of people come in and ask for them – almost daily. They are more of a fad and they are easier to hide.”

Vines said most of the devices are purchased by the minor teens at local convenience stores that aren’t checking IDs.

“Gas stations are selling them to the students and not carding them,” he said.

While SROs in some school districts cite students found with e-cigs, in Sumner County, the school system itself chooses to discipline the offenders, said Vines.

As for what if any action is taken by the school system when devices are found on students, or how many of the devices confiscated this year may have contained CBD oil, Jeremy Johnson, spokesperson for Sumner County Schools, declined requests for comments.

 

Problem extends past schools

Speaking as an individual school board member, Jim Hawkins said he does have concerns of the growing problems with teen vaping.

“I’m aware of the sad and growing nationwide us usage of e-cigarettes among minors and I’m aware that it is being used for tobacco and non-tobacco products,” Hawkins said. “The School Board is absolutely focused on safe and effective schools.

“If any students are using e cigarettes or vaping marijuana or tobacco – that is a big concern. I’m concerned about the vaping of both – especially because tobacco is so intensely addictive for teenagers.”  

Hawkins said he believes the fruity and kid-friendly flavors of the vaping juices are creating some of much of the problem.

“I would strongly support prohibition of kid-friendly flavors that attract children to vaping,” he said.

Moreover, Hawkins said it’s important to note that the issue of teen vaping isn’t just a school problem.

“This is a situation where we as a community – not just the schools – but parents, family members, and merchants all need to be alert and active in protecting our children and our teens,” he said. “I want us as a school system and a county to do all that we can to prevent and protect our teens from marijuana and tobacco.”

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