ROISD takes on vaping issue

RED OAK – Everyone knows the term vaping these days. It is as popular for adults as it is for high school students.

However, almost no one can really guess the side effects and health risks of this popular pastime yet.

According to the Center for Disease Control – from 2011 to 2018, vaping has increased among high school students alone from 1.5-percent or about 220,000 students to 3.05 million students or 20.8-percent in that time period.

Red Oak ISD will be hosting a special event for parents and students on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Red Oak High School Performing Arts Center to address the issue of vaping.

Beth Trimble, executive director of communications for Red Oak ISD said it was decided to have the event because Community and Family Services Coordinator Donna Knight, who works with the REACH Council (which provides information to families about safe and healthy life choices, including the prevention of youth using drugs and alcohol), believed vaping was a timely topic.

“Vaping is a current trend that is proving very harmful for our youth, especially with the marketing targeted toward young adults and even teens,” Trimble said.

“Families need to be aware that vaping is as dangerous as smoking, or even more so since pods can contain various substances.”

Vaping is not allowed at Red Oak ISD, and that includes no e-cigs, vapes or juuls.

Trimble said all are forbidden – the same as cigarettes or other tobacco products.

So serious is ROISD about the long-term effects of vaping the approach at the upcoming event will be presented from a medical, legal and campus-consequence approach.

This is in order to show the dangers to one’s health as well as the legal and district ramifications.

“We will also have a show-and-tell about concealer vapes for parents and adults to look out for, plus other signs your child is vaping,” Trimble added.

Vaping went from taboo and a way for smokers to quit, to a new way to use tobacco products, CBD or even illegal products like THC.

Trimble said over the years the marketing changed too. For example, the fun flavors and easy to conceal vapes that look like a pen, highlighter, phone charger, and dozens of other common items are now commonplace. With this change, more students are using vapes across the country from college to high school and even down to middle school.

While Trimble said Red Oak ISD has not necessarily seen a huge upswing in vaping, she confirmed “we know more students are using or tempted to use.”

With an upswing locally or not, in the United States as of last month, there were six deaths confirmed that were related to vaping in six different states.

In addition to the deaths, there have also been 380 cases of lung illness associated with e-cigarettes in the United States.

“We want to bring awareness and information to our families, that vaping is not less harmful, and the consequences can be serious both at school and off-campus depending on the product placed in the vape,” Trimble added.

The seminar comes at a time when just last month the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning to the general public about the dangers of vaping.

The warning requested people “consider not using e-cigarettes.”

At the same time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration put out its own warning asking people not to buy vape equipment off the street.

Hosted by ROISD in conjunction with the Reach Council, the vaping seminar is for teens and young adults along with their families, but Trimble said all in the community are welcome to attend and learn more about the vaping trend sweeping the country.