Surgeon General Attempts to Tackle Student Vaping

William Maetzold | August 20, 2019

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams making student vaping use a top priority on a visit to Oklahoma City. He spoke with Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendent Sean McDaniel about how common it is in the district.

“Unfortunately our young people quickly become addicted to e-cigarettes and vaping and can’t even get through a class without hitting their vape pen or their Juul pen,” Adams said.

Adams said the addictive nature of vaping can affect the brain, especially because of the effect of nicotine.

“We know that vaping for the developing brain can affect learning, attention and memory,” Adams said. “So it’s going to affect school performance.”

Adams said the use of e-cigarettes and vape pens could lead to a lifetime of poor health choices.

“We’re particularly concerned about young people being exposed to high levels of nicotine and that creating a lifetime of dependency to tobacco-related products,” Adams said.

Vaping is considered a violation of the Oklahoma City School District’s drug-free and tobacco-free policy.

“If folks want to use these as an adult and as a means to quit smoking, that’s one thing,” Adams said. “Right now the evidence is clear, there are many more young people that are using this as an initiation into nicotine.”

Adams said the e-cigarettes can also be used to smoke marijuana. He said he’s increased about the increased potency of marijuana that is available now.


Click here to download FREE resources about the dangers of youth vaping. Learn what it is like to quit vaping with the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. Visit our Vaping and E-cigarettes page to learn more.

Published by Tobacco Stops With Me on August 21, 2019

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