Thanks for the vaping special
EDITOR: Kudos for publishing the comprehensive special April 25 report “Teens and the Vape Debate” in the Sonoma West publications which highlights the frightening rise of youth vaping.
Publisher Rollie Atkinson’s introduction says it best, “If we ever thought we were conquering the health scourge of tobacco and nicotine, the current horrifying epidemic of underage use of e-cigarettes will clear all our heads of any smoky illusions.” In December, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an e-cigarette advisory calling on federal, state and local governments, teachers, parents and health care professionals to “…take aggressive steps to protect our children from these highly potent products …”
Locally, groups like the Tobacco-Free Sonoma County Community Coalition (pr************@so***********.org) are banding together, unwilling to lose another generation to smoking/vaping nicotine addiction. When the FDA reported a 78% rise in e-cigarette use among high school students and 48% increase among junior high students between 2017 and 2018, everyone said “enough!” We are fighting back in each city against contributing factors to teen use and addiction, such as ease of access, luring flavors, techno-toy designs, misinformation, retail proliferation and predatory marketing, with proven strategies such as tobacco retail licensing and public education. Thank you for supporting those efforts by sponsoring the community conversation about vaping, including an expert panel discussion in the library at Analy High School on Wednesday, May 22.
Pam Granger, chairperson
Tobacco-Free Sonoma County Community Coalition
