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Rep. Cheeseman and Sen. Formica Bring Awareness to Dangers of Youth Vaping

Posted on November 22, 2019

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EAST LYME – On Tuesday, State Representative Holly Cheeseman (R-37) and State Senator Paul Formica (R-20) hosted an informational forum for both constituents and local officials on youth vaping at East Lyme high School (ELHS).

The panel of experts and stakeholders included Orthopedic and Neuroscience Researcher Dr. Frank Maletz, ELHS Director of Campus Safety and Security Christopher Olsen, ELHS Principal Michael Susi, East Lyme Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Amy Drowne, ELHS Student Grace Vlaun and Fog Factory Vape Shop Owner Alex Kopacz.

The discussion regarding this problem, which has been growing in Southeastern Connecticut over the past three to five years, centered on the need to be proactive about teaching young people to make good choices for their well-being. Vaping has been shown to cause serious health hazards to all organs and muscles in minors, with a few cases having been discovered in students as young as middle school-age. These risks, as well as social-emotional techniques for relieving stress, are currently being taught in ELHS health classes to prevent students from turning to potentially even more harmful substances.

“My goal is to continue educating our youth and their parents on the dangers of vaping at a young age,” said Rep. Cheeseman. “Nicotine is a very addictive substance and we want to make sure that those who do purchase e-cigarettes are adults making a well-educated choice. We can do this by continuing to strengthen our laws enforcing retailers to check IDs before making a sale. Mr. Kopacz, who owns a local vape shop in New London, said that he even believes fines and penalties should be made stricter for locations that sell to minors. If you, or someone who know is struggling with underage vaping, please know that ELHS has a Substance Abuse Counselor who can act as a liaison for students.”

“Knowledge is power, and this forum aimed to get people’s questions answered about vaping,” said Sen. Formica.  “As lawmakers, Rep. Cheeseman and I look for ways to gather key voices from throughout the community on public health issues like this in order to better educate people of all ages. We thank the panel of experts for joining us, and we look forward to continuing the public conversation and gaining further feedback on youth vaping. We urge area residents to contact us with questions, comments and ideas on this topic.  We’re listening.”

If you were unable to attend the forum, but would still like to connect with your legislator on this issue, please contact Rep. Cheeseman at Holly.Cheeseman@housegop.ct.gov or 1-800-841-1423 and Sen. Formica at Paul.Formica@cga.ct.gov or 1-800-842-1421.

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