Sherrard School District Resource Officer Mike Mendoza talked to fifth and sixth grader students at Matherville Intermediate about vaping earlier this month.
He taught students what an E-Cigarette is, and how it works. He explained that you can actually overdose on nicotine and the lasting effects it can have on health.
He warned them about peer pressure – and what to do when they’re offered a vape, “If it says poison stay away from it. Your parents wouldn’t want you to be around poison.”
“Are E-Cigarettes better than smoking? We don’t know,” he said. The alternative hasn’t been studied over the long-term, and thus, long-term health risks/affects are unknown.
He told students current research shows that youth who vape are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.
Fifth grader Kaylee Faccio said she she learned a lot from the presentation. She didn’t know one cartridge is equal to the nicotine content of one pack of cigarettes.
The conversation confirmed what she already suspected, “I always thought it was really bad.”
Mendoza said the purpose of the talk is, “To make them aware of the negative side of vaping… even though kids think it’s a better alternative than smoking.”
He said the number of poisoning cases linked to e-cigarette liquids was 1,351 in 2013, a 300% increase from 2012.
“A lot of kids think it’s nicotine-free. I’ve been through three stores and I have not been able to find or buy a bottle of juice that does not contain nicotine,” said Mendoza.
