Tobacco and vaping parent prevention seminars

The School District of Lee County is inviting parents to three seminars in September about tobacco and vaping prevention. Last year the Food and Drug Administration declared teen e-cigarette use an epidemic.

“According to the 2018 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, the number of Lee County teens who reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days was more than 10 times the rate of those who used traditional cigarettes,” says Prevention Specialist Kathy Wynne. “So while Lee County student cigarette use is decreasing, vaping use is increasing each year.” In fact, in the above-mentioned survey, 34.4% of Lee County middle and high school students reported they have tried vaping. A teen who vapes is four times more likely to begin smoking traditional cigarettes than a teen who does not.

Included in the presentation for parents are:

• What makes tobacco and vaping so dangerous for teens

• Signs that may indicate your child is vaping

• The consequences of teen nicotine use

“We realize that vaping has changed from a cigarette alternative to a delivery device for nicotine,” Wynne says. “By adding flavors, the industry has made this an easy and popular way to get teens addicted to nicotine. We want to provide information to our parents so that we may work together to educate our students about the dangers of both smoking and vaping.”

The first presentation is on Tuesday, September 10th at 6:00 pm – Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School in Fort Myers.

The second presentation is on Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 pm – Cape Coral High School in Cape Coral.

The third presentation is on Monday, September 16th at 6:00 pm – Varsity Lakes Middle School in Lehigh Acres.

Parents are invited to attend the seminar regardless of which zone they may live in or school their child attends.

Together, we can help our students make better choices.

For questions or more information, call (239) 335-1570 or (239) 337-8218