Presentations to highlight commonness of e-cigarettes on school campuses
By Andrea Papagianis
Various agencies and organizations are teaming up this month to educate parents and the community on the prevalence of electronic cigarettes in Orange County schools.
A series of five talks presented by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will introduce attendees to various types of e-cigarettes, how they are used, health concerns and prevention tips. The first will be held at Dana Hills High School, 33333 Golden Lantern, on Monday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m.
In recent years, teens on campus have moved away from traditional cigarette smoking as schools across the county have seen a rise in e-cigarette use, said Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Woodruff, a school resource officer at Dana Hills.
He said one of the biggest concerns is that teens are smoking marijuana, in the form of a highly-concentrated oil, through these pocket-sized devices.
The goal of the presentations is to educate the community and advocate for healthier choices among teens, Woodruff said. Taking part in the outreach initiative will be medical doctors, psychologists, school resource officers and addiction specialists and treatment advocates.
Last week, the Los Angeles City Council moved the way of anti-smoking bans nationwide and barred the use of small, portable e-cigarette use in restaurants, parks, workplaces and other public areas. LA joins New York, Boston, Chicago and the District of Columbia in placing limits on the practice known as vaping.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not currently regulate e-cigarettes.
A proposed rule change could bring e-cigarettes under the FDA’s jurisdiction, much like cigarettes and smokeless and roll-your-own tobacco products. Such a move could force companies to register, list their ingredients and limit marketing to children.
Additional OCSD presentations will be held throughout the month and county at the Laguna Hills Community Center on Wednesday, March 19; Stanton Civic Center on Thursday, March 20; Lake Forest City Hall on Tuesday, March 25 and Rush Park Auditorium on Thursday, March 27.
Presentations in Laguna Hills and Stanton will be in English and Spanish. All are open to the public and are free of charge.
Contact OCSD Sgt. Mike Pixomatis at 714.647.1806 or mpixomatis@ocsd.org for additional information.
