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Vaping becomes concern for St. Lawrence County School districts

Posted 9/21/19

BY MATT LINDSEY North Country This Week A new disease with links to vaping has renewed concerns for area school officials who are seeing an increase in the number of students using e-cigarettes. At …

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Vaping becomes concern for St. Lawrence County School districts

Posted

BY MATT LINDSEY

North Country This Week

A new disease with links to vaping has renewed concerns for area school officials who are seeing an increase in the number of students using e-cigarettes.

At least 34 cases of severe pulmonary disease have been reported across the state by patients who reported inhaling the aerosol – or vapor -- produced by the devices, according to the state Department of Health.

There have been no reports of severe pulmonary disease in St. Lawrence County, according to Public Health Director Dana Olzenak McGuire. However, school officials are aware of students selling “hits” of vape to other students, she said.

“Not much is known about the effects of vaping,” she said. “A lot of people move from smoking tobacco products to vaping hoping it would be better or not as bad.”

Vaping is a significant concern and it is becoming problematic in the Canton Central School District, Superintendent Ron Burke said.

“The vaping products are designed to be at best discreet and at worse, stealthy,” Burke said. “This should make us all wonder why, if so safe, why do the producers feel the need to keep it hidden?”

Potsdam Central has seen an uptick in incidents of students vaping.

“We have definitely seen a significant increase in the number of vaping cases at the high school, and to a lesser extent, at the middle level, said Potsdam Central Superintendent Joann Chambers.

The impact on the health of the students, and others is at the center of concern.

“The health impacts are just beginning to be understood,” Burke said.

“We know it’s in the school community and we attempt to guide our students with making proper choices,” said Norwood-Norfolk Central Superintendent Jamie Cruikshank. He said that problems with vaping has remained stable since last year.

Some schools have started educating students about the dangers of vaping and making changes in an effort to curtail the problem.

This year, PCS installed vape detectors in the bathrooms at the high school. “We hope these will be a deterrent,” Chambers said.

Students are first provided with information about the health concerns associated with vaping beginning in 7th grade health classes.

Schools have brought in the Seaway Valley Prevention Council for presentations about the dangers of vaping, and reached out to parents through educational materials.

“However, we take every opportunity to use teachable moments with our students,” Cruikshank said.

Chambers said she and school officials are “most concerned about the long-term impact” on students’ health.

“We understand that nicotine is a highly addictive substance and will do all we can to support students who are interested in trying to break the vaping habit,” she said.

Ogdensburg Free Academy Supt. Kevin Kendall says vaping incidents are on the rise and the school has been working to address them.

“As in years past, we partner with the Seaway Valley Prevention Council, specifically Reality Check, which meets in the district each Monday, to raise awareness of the dangers associated with vaping, as well as other substances. We invite various guest speakers to share true stories with our student body. Our health teacher also educates our students with regard to the dangers of substance abuse,” he said.

Massena Central Superintendent Pat Brady says vaping is a big concern and they are trying to educate students on the risks.

“Over the last two years we have seen a significant increase in the use of vaping among our students,” he said. “We’ve seen vaping Juuls and other vaping equipment being used by our students, for both nicotine as well as THC.”

Brady isn’t sure of the specific number of students vaping, but said it isn’t confined to one portion of the student body.

“It is widespread and it cuts across the entire student body, it isn’t one particular demographic or group of students that can be using, it could be anyone. It could be a student you wouldn’t expect to be vaping,” he said.

“It is more challenging to detect and catch students vaping because it tends to be somewhat odorless and easy to conceal, and that’s part of the problem and part of the allure to students.”

In response, they are giving presentations and providing educational materials to students and parents on the risks associated with using vape products.

They also are talking with Massena Police Officer Jody Daggett, the district’s school resource officer, to help educate students. And they are getting presentations and educational materials from Reality Check, a teen anti-smoking group.

“My hope is that with this information on the increased health risks, and our continuing prevention campaign, it will deter students who might look at vaping, or encourage those who are vaping to stop,” Brady said. “I think companies that advertise and sell these products have been very savvy to tailor their products to young people … flavors, sleek designs of the equipment that can be plugged into computers. It really has become an epidemic in the country, in my opinion, because of the marketing.”

National Problem

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco use among children grew nearly 38% between 2017 and 2018, driven largely by a surge in e-cigarette use, which increased 78% among high school students and 48% among middle school-aged children.

Gov. Cuomo recently announced that he will advance new legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes.

Some retailers have stopped selling vaping products, including Kinney Drugs, who made this effective Aug. 1., stating their decision is in response to “alarming statistics demonstrating that these products are increasingly being used by teens and children.”

Many local school districts have implemented vaping policies after numerous instances of students using vape products on school property.

Clinical Findings

Cases of severe pulmonary disease have reported various symptoms upon presentation, including: cough, pleuritic chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, anorexia, and weight loss.

There is no specific treatment for patients with vaping-associated pulmonary disease. Some patients have required endotracheal intubation and systemic steroids. Other cases have self-resolved with close clinical monitoring and minimal supportive care over several days.

While the investigation is still ongoing, laboratory results have shown very high levels of vitamin E acetate in nearly all cannabis-containing samples analyzed by the Wadsworth Center. Vitamin E acetate is a commonly available nutritional supplement that is not known to cause harm when ingested as a vitamin supplement or applied to the skin. However, the Department continues to investigate its health effects when inhaled because its oil-like properties could be associated with the observed respiratory symptoms.

Similar cases of severe pulmonary disease associated with vape product use have been reported in several other states, and NYS is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of the investigation. While no deaths have been reported to date, some patients have had progressive respiratory compromise requiring endotracheal intubation.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last week directed the state DOH to issue subpoenas to companies marketing and selling “thickening agents” used in black market vaping products and to issue emergency regulations mandating that warning signs must be posted in all vape and smoke shops.