Click here for resources on Smoking Cessation
What Families Need to Know About Vaping. Click here
For safe vape disposal locations, click here.
Team Teen is an early intervention program for students 12 to 19 years old, who may need support with alcohol, vaping, or substance use. Team Teen is a free confidential early intervention program. If you need assistance with your teen, please call CoveCare Center at 845-225-2700 or visit their website for details at covecarecenter.org.
What is Tobacco 21?
In January 2019, the legal age to buy tobacco and E-cigarettes will be raised from 18 years to 21 years, as a result of the “Tobacco 21” law recently signed by Putnam County Executive, MaryEllen Odell. This is not a solution to underage tobacco and E-cigarette use; however it’s one obstacle to deter access.
It’s important to remember that Kids can still order “E-juice” on the internet and online stores don’t always ask for proof of age. The more kids vape, the more hooked they become. Kids who vape just once, are more likely to try other types of tobacco. Their developing brains make it easier for them to get hooked, according to recent studies.
The BEST form of prevention for caregivers is through COMMUNICATING and EDUCATING our kids. Please take the time to ask open ended questions and share your concerns. THEY ARE LISTENING!
Why do you think Putnam just passed T-21 legislation?
Tobacco 21 has already proved effective in the more than 300 localities nationwide that have enacted this legislation. In 2005, Needham, MA voted to raise and enforce the minimum tobacco sales age of 21. In 2006, before full enforcement, the town had a youth smoking rate of 18% compared with 15% in the surrounding communities. By 2010, the youth smoking rate in Needham was down to 6.7% while the surrounding communities’ rate only decreased to 12.4%. The percent decline in youth smoking in Needham was nearly triple that of its neighbors. Read more here.
What’s the difference between a vape and a cigarette?
Electronic Nicotine devices can look like a pen, a computer memory stick, a car key fob or even an asthma inhaler. Instead of inhaling tobacco smoke from a cigarette, E-cigarette users inhale vapor from liquid “E-juice” that has been heated with a battery-powered coil. This is called vaping. The juice is flavored and usually contains Nicotine and other chemicals.
E-cigarettes are unhealthy and addictive. They’re also wildly popular among kids. According to kids who vape, they prefer vaping to smoking because it is odorless, and less likely to be detected. They enjoy E-cigarette juices that are sold in flavors like fruit, candy, coffee and chocolate. There is a large misconception among our youth that vaping is not dangerous because “it is just flavored air” and they do not realize that most have the addictive ingredient, Nicotine. In one popular E-cigarette brand, The “Juul”, one cartridge of e-juice contains the same amount of Nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.
In Putnam County, youth vaping numbers are alarming. According to a recent survey, the percentage of Putnam’s youth vaping numbers are more than twice that of the national average. For example, 10th grade students who used E-cigarettes in the past 30 days are 27.3 percent, compared to the national average of 13.1 percent. For 12th graders, the national average is 16.6 percent and in Putnam it is 33.8 percent.
Here’s what caregivers should know about teen vaping trends:
Kids might use different words to talk about E-cigarettes and vaping. For example, “Juuling” is a popular word to describe using a brand of E-cigarette. About one in four kids who use E-cigarettes also try “dripping.” Instead of using a mouthpiece to vape, they drip the liquid directly onto a heat coil. This makes the vapor thicker and stronger.
If you could use only use three words to describe vaping, what would they be and why
Some common teen responses and suggestions to continue the conversation:
- “Drug”- E-cigarettes may contain the highly addictive drug, Nicotine. Even products that claim to be “Nicotine Free” have been found to contain trace amounts.
- “Juul’– This is a brand of E-cigarette that is very popular because of its sleek and discreet design. The available flavors of e-juice produced by this particular brand have been are marketed in a way to entice teen usage with flavors like “crème brulee” and “cupcake”. Juuling is another common term.
- “Tasty”- As stated above, E-Juices are flavorings that are pleasing to users and hide the hidden dangers of the drug, Nicotine.
- ‘Hidden”- As stated above, the Juul is small and discreet and often unable to be detected because there is little/no odor, making it easy to use in school.
- “Normal”- Recent studies are showing that an estimated 30% of Putnam Teens have tried or are actively vaping.
- “Cool” – It may seem to be a popular trend, and perceived by our teens to be “what everyone is doing”. The fact is, the majority of teens (70%!) are not vaping!
- “Legal”– Actually, due to the passage of “T21” it’s now illegal for individuals under the age of 21 to buy Cigarettes or vaping products in Putnam County.
- “Fun”– There is nothing fun about the recent research findings. Please click here for more information.
Vaping guide for parents, click here.
Source: “Tobacco 21 Legislation Passes in Putnam.” Hudson Valley NY, 4 Oct. 2018, hudsonvalleyny.heart.org/tobacco-21-legislation-passes-in-putnam/.
More on nicotine:
