Assembly warns students of vaping epidemic
December 18, 2019
During an assembly on the dangers of vaping, Daniel Pearl Magnet High School students were informed that students caught with cannabis on campus can have their driver’s license delayed and may even affect their financial aid.
In hopes of encouraging youth to become aware of the dangers associated with the increased use of cannabis concentrates and nicotine vaping products, prevention specialist Tomas Robles and executive director Albert Melena from San Fernando Valley Partnership came to DPMHS to inform students about this epidemic. Recently, companies have picked up on the tendency to target youth through packaging, such as Mario-Kart labels on vape products.
“It is important to talk to students about this issue to prepare them to make the best decisions possible in the future,” Robles said. “We can’t simply rely on scare tactics to teach youth. We need to present them with the facts and have a discussion on the concerns we have as a community.”
Two assemblies were held on Dec. 12 in the multi-purpose room and touched upon many topics, including how cannabis can be safe but can also be contaminated with fungicide or insecticide. They also explained how flavored vape products are used you lure teens to use the products.
In the past year, nearly one in three 12th graders reported using e-vaporizers, making vape products a trend that can be just as cigarettes, according to Robles. Vape products contain nicotine salts as a concentrated form of the highly addictive substance. Just one pod can deliver as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
Not only were the students informed on how vaping or smoking can affect them but also how it can affect the people around them and their environment. Researchers have found that memory loss can be one of the consequences of dealing with cannabis.
“Youth need to understand how they are often deceived by packaging and flavored products developed by companies and individuals that want to create a new wave of users,” Robles said.
San Fernando Valley Partnership strives for a healthy and drug-free community, especially among teenagers. For this reason, they visit different schools and inform students on this issue to help them make educated choices.
“I think it’s important for our students to be informed about the dangers of cannabis because many students may be unaware of the dangers that could potentially be in the vape products,” senior Karen Ticas said.
