Collier County Public Schools advocates against vaping with new posters

The surgeon general calls it an epidemic and kids are falling prey. Now, Collier County School District is making sure students as young as sixth grade understand the dangers of vaping.

Its popularity with underage kids is undeniable.

“It’s the 2019 cigarette,” said Fritz Jacques, a parent.

“It’s a huge craze that’s going on,” said Sarah Bell, a parent. “They think they’re cool. They think it’s something fun to do, but they don’t realize the long term effects it’s going to have on them.”

However, with new “Vapor Beware” posters with facts and figures, words like “Youth Epidemic,” the Collier County School District hopes teenagers get the message that e-cigarettes are dangerous.

“It’s not okay for teenagers to vape because their brains are still developing when teenagers take in that much nicotine,” said Chad Oliver, executive director of communications for Collier County Public Schools. “It can stunt their brain development.”

The Collier County School District said from the 2016-2017 to 2017-2018 school year, it saw a nearly 300% increase in tobacco-related offenses from 76 to 333. Last year, that number jumped again to 443.

Derek Smith works at an FDA registered vape shop, Vape King, which is in Naples. It claims to do everything the law said to keep its products away from kids.

“Kids will always get their hands on age-restricted product,” Smith said, “if they really want to.”

“A lot of parents try to be cool and be friends with their kids and they don’t want to put the discipline on them,” Bell said, “and tell them what they should and shouldn’t be doing.”