Mission school principals voiced their concerns about a growing problem with student vaping in a meeting with the district last week.
Mission District 75 Superintendent Angus Wilson issued a memo to parents on Wednesday (Nov. 23) outlining the issues the schools face.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 sort of sad, because in my time as a principal, we watched cigarette smoking kind of fade away. There are still kids that smoke cigarettes but vaping has come along and filled that vacuum,B次元官网网址� Wilson said in an interview.
According to a study done by the McCreary Centre Society in 2020, 27 per cent of students in grades seven to 12 in British Columbia had vaped.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a province-wide concern but also a worldwide concern,B次元官网网址� said BC Lung FoundationB次元官网网址檚 Vice President of Health Programs and Initiatives Dr. Menn Biagtan. B次元官网网址淭here is a very rapid increase in the number of high school students vaping.B次元官网网址�
Nicotine vapes are more potent than cigarettes and contain other harmful chemicals as well. Wilson says students leaving classes to vape is impacting their capacity to learn and focus.
B次元官网网址淲e have some students that canB次元官网网址檛 go an hour without vaping,B次元官网网址� Wilson said.
B次元官网网址淥ne of the the most important health effects of nicotine is addiction and physical dependence.,B次元官网网址� Biagtan said. B次元官网网址淲e are worried that there will be more kids vaping because they think it is a less harmful alternative to smoking, but the reality is, itB次元官网网址檚 not really less harmful.B次元官网网址�
Biagtan says the long-term effects of both nicotine and cannabis vapes on the physical and mental health of youth remains unknown because studies are still being completed. However, there is enough information to know that vaping can negatively impact respiratory and neural health.
B次元官网网址淣icotine can affect the developing brain. Normally, our brain develops until about 25 years of age and introduction of nicotine before that age can impair parts of the brain responsible for memory, concentration and control of behavior,B次元官网网址� she said.
Wilson says students congregating in the bathroom to vape disrupts and intimidates their peers who legitimately need to use the bathroom. He says vaping is more difficult to police in schools than cigarettes because e-cigarettes are easily concealed and lack a distinct odor.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the impact on learning and on the school climate that weB次元官网网址檙e really concerned about and want to try and address,B次元官网网址� Wilson says. B次元官网网址淲e still have things like suspensions for students that vape but thatB次元官网网址檚 not really the solution to prevent vaping.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no silver bullet. The problem is by the time [youB次元官网网址檙e in high school], I canB次元官网网址檛 just go up ask someone not be addicted anymore. It doesnB次元官网网址檛 work like that. So a lot of the education has to be directed at the upper-elementary and middle school age group.B次元官网网址�
To combat the problem, the school district plans to collaborate with Fraser Health and other local organizations to educate students about the risks of vaping. Schools already display posters of the uglier consequences of smoking, but Wilson says the school board is searching for more long-term solutions to the problem.
B次元官网网址淓ducating our youth about the harmful effects of vaping should be a priority for our education system B次元官网网址� especially at high school level,B次元官网网址滲iagtan says. B次元官网网址淭here should also be more regulations in place to increase the age by which people can access tobacco or vaping products. BC Lung is proposing age 21 instead of 19.B次元官网网址�
The BC Lung Foundation has an online vaping prevention toolkit to for parents, students, and teachers at .
dillon.white@missioncityrecord.com
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