Polk County Public Health - Vaping talk in high school classrooms next week

Sept. 25--With teen-age vaping being described as an "epidemic" nationally, and continuing to be a problem with students at Crookston High School, CHS Principal Eric Bubna says Polk County Public Health representatives will be at the high school next Monday and Tuesday to discuss the dangers of vaping in various classrooms.

Getting a handle of students vaping at CHS has become almost a daily challenge, Bubna said. "It's become a very popular thing that they're exposed to, so it would be good if they could learn the risks," he said. "We're happy that Polk County Public Health is willing to partner with us; it's nice to have another adult expert talking to the kids instead of just another teacher talking."

Bubna said letters will be going home to parents to alert them to the two days of classroom vaping instruction next week.

Vaping involves trendy little gadgets that heat up flavored oils that users inhale, and the vape units produce a large cloud of water vapor instead of smoke. Known as "e-cigarettes" early on that were a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, the vaping units have become smaller with time and easier for kids to conceal, and they can even plug them in via a USB port in order to heat up the oil. At the same time, the variety of flavors has exploded in size. But as more research has been done, it's been learned that vape units contain a highly concentrated amount of addictive nicotine compared to a traditional cigarette, and possibly some other unsafe chemicals.

Learning of the vaping curriculum on tap for next week, Crookston School Board members were happy to hear it.

"The vaping that goes on right in the classrooms, it's just unbelievable," Board Chair Frank Fee said. "It's unbelievable to me that they have the nerve to do that in front of teachers."

The Crookston Daily Times this past June hosted a 30-minute Facebook Live panel discussion at CHS featuring Bubna, along with Sarah Reese and Bethany Satrom from PCPH, on the massive growth in popularity of youth vaping, and the dangers of vaping. You can find it on the Times Facebook page.

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