The Near North District School Board is pushing for all levels of government to help create an awareness campaign about the dangers of vaping.
David Thompson, the Chair of the Near North District School Board says what teens are vaping is shocking.
“Crushed oxycontin, marijuana juice, whatever other prohibitive drugs they can get their hands on, that’s what they are vaping and they are doing it right under the nose of everyone,” said Thompson about the scentless e-cigarettes.
The use of vaping products, such as e-cigarettes, has become increasingly popular over the past several years. In the North Bay area alone Thompson believes, from a student perspective, it has become more popular than smoking.
“It’s ironic that vaping was intended to get people to stop smoking, well what we are hearing is kids aren’t even smoking they are going right to vaping,” he said.
Because of the concern, the Near North District School Board has created guidelines that prohibit vaping on school property, just like smoking.
“You are subject to suspension if you are vaping on school property, that’s how we are dealing with it,” said Thompson.
“Also the other piece is the education and awareness campaign and this is what we are lobbying the Health Unit and local government.”
Thompson hopes a vaping awareness campaign will shed some real light on this new trend among students.
“There are so many type of juices you can vape with different flavours, they are not labeled, what are the health consequences,” questions Thompson.
“I think the trustees want to see an educational awareness campaign going on that parents need to know that kids can be vaping in their bedroom and their parents will have no clue because there’s no smell and that’s scary.”
