School districts are seeing a significant increase of youth smoking e-cigarettes. E-cigarette use poses a significant – and avoidable – health risk to young people in the United States. In addition, some students are using e-cigarettes to smoke a form of cannabis called THC oil. Possession of any amount of THC oil is a felony in Texas, and carries with it a mandatory placement in DAEP.
We are asking Burnet CISD parents to take these specific steps to help protect students:
Step 1: Educate yourself about the risks of teen vaping & smoking
"E-cigarette use poses a significant – and avoidable – health risk to young people in the United States. Besides increasing the possibility of addiction and long-term harm to brain development and respiratory health, e-cigarette use is associated with the use of other tobacco products that can do even more damage to the body. Even breathing e-cigarette aerosol that someone else has exhaled poses potential health risks."
-read more at Know the Risks for E-Cigarettes & Young People
Step 2: Start a conversation with your child about the risks of vaping & smoking
Review the Parent Tip Sheets on the Surgeon General's Take Action page. Remember, your goal is to have a conversation, not to deliver a lecture. It's OK for your conversation to take place over time, in bits and pieces.
Step 3: Prevent student access to e-cigarettes and monitor for signs of use.
Be familiar with what common vaping devices look like. Watch for an unexplained sweet scent or strange odor (similar to latex), or pens and USB drives that don't look normal. Maintain open communication with your teen about where they spend time, who they are with, and what they are doing.
The Surgeon General recommends making your home and vehicles tobacco-free by prohibiting use of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, by family members, friends, and guests.
More information:
- U.S. Surgeon General: https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/
- Vaping Blows by the Tarrant County Public Health: http://vapingblows.tarrantcounty.com/
- American Academy of Pediatrics: https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/AAP-JUUL-Factsheet.pdf