As the scourge of vaping and the use of e-cigarettes continues to grow among teenagers, society as a whole needs to find effective solutions for addressing this issue. With that in mind, The Society for Public Health Education the hosts of SOPHE 2023, have invited Soter Technologies’ Bruce Barcelo to speak about the best solutions for dealing with this issue at their recent conference. Through education, enforcement, and technology solutions, we can work together to create a healthier future for our youth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaping among middle and high school students has been on the rise since 2011. In 2019, more than 5 million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, with roughly 1 in 4 high school students and 1 in 14 middle school students vaping. In 2019, over 5 million students in middle and high school stated that they utilized e-cigarettes within the previous 30 days. This included approximately 1 out of 4 high school students and 1 out of 14 middle school students who reported vaping.
While some people view vaping as a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, there are still serious health risks associated with the use of e-cigarettes. The nicotine and other chemicals in e-cigarette aerosol can harm the developing brain and negatively impact lung function. Additionally, some e-cigarette products have been found to contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and ultra fine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
One proposed solution is to increase education and awareness about the dangers of vaping. This can include educating students about the health risks associated with e-cigarette use, as well as the addictive nature of nicotine. Another is to increase the enforcement of laws and policies that prohibit vaping in public spaces, particularly in schools. This can involve increasing penalties for students who are caught vaping on school grounds, as well as increasing the presence of law enforcement and security personnel to monitor and enforce these policies. Lastly, technology solutions can also be implemented to address the vaping scourge. Soter Technologies has developed a FlySense that can detect e-cigarette use in real-time. This system can be installed in schools and other public spaces to identify and deter vaping. Learn how to get Flysense Here
