There is a rising tide of addiction to flavored tobacco amongst Maine youth. I can say this with confidence as the principal of Freeport High School and as a mom. The most recent data from the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey backs up this assertion and presents a stark reality that demands our immediate attention.
Flavored tobacco products are dangerously addictive and vaping devices are designed to be easy to hide. When kids used to smoke cigarettes and go home, the smell was easy to detect. It stuck to clothes and stayed on their breath. Sneaking a cigarette every now and then was something that kids did to be edgy, but parents and teachers could catch them in the act.
Today’s flavored tobacco products are very different.
Vape pens are easily concealable. Some are even manufactured to look like flash drives, highlighters, pens and other school supplies. Backpacks and jackets are being made with pockets close to the shoulder to hide vaping devices so kids can take puffs without having to take anything out of their pockets.
This is scary enough. But we also know that one nicotine pod, for example, has the same amount of nicotine in it as a pack of 20 cigarettes. With the first symptoms of nicotine dependence appearing within days to weeks of the onset of occasional use, a young person doesn’t stand a chance with such a high concentration of nicotine in flavored tobacco products.
And what we are dealing with today in schools is far different from the “old days.” Students have been smoking in the bathrooms for years. That is not to say that it was or is OK to do so, but today’s problem is far more severe.
What we’re battling now is kids who are fully addicted. This is not social smoking. These are children with full-on addictions to nicotine. Attracted by these candy flavors that conceal the harsh taste of nicotine, kids are fully addicted before they even know it. It is not out of the question to see kids go through two flavor pods, or the equivalent of 40 cigarettes, just during the hours of a single day.
As school officials, we can only impose detentions or other penalties. For many students, a school-related consequence is not as powerful as their addiction and does not result in them stopping vaping.
This problem is not exclusive to Freeport High School. This problem is statewide and nationwide.
The MIYHS 2021 report says nearly 34% of high school students in Maine have used e-cigarettes, with the allure of enticing flavors being the driving force behind their use. Menthol products are also attractive to youth, with flavoring that numbs the back of the throat, making it easier to inhale the smoke more deeply.
As a mother, I am troubled by the fact that my children are being exposed to tobacco addiction at such a vulnerable age. It is our collective responsibility to shield our children from these deadly substances and to push back on the blatant marketing of our kids by Big Tobacco.
Our state’s commitment to the well-being of its residents is a source of pride for all Mainers. We must continue to be leaders in public health and end the sale of these deadly products. The town of Falmouth has the opportunity to enact a local ordinance, joining Bangor, Bar Harbor, Brunswick, Portland and South Portland, all of which have voted to end the sale of flavored tobacco products.
Finally, the Maine Senate approved a statewide law to end the sale of flavored tobacco products. It is now time for the Maine House of Representatives to take its action and vote to end the sale as well. All of Maine’s kids deserve the same protection and opportunities to enjoy a tobacco-free, addiction-free life.
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