By Reggie Ellis, The Sun-Gazette, October 23, 2019
After decades of declines in underage tobacco use, flavored vape juice is fueling a resurgence in teen smoking; forces cities to consider bans as school districts struggle to deal with vaping epidemic.
When Sara Morton became an educator 20 years ago, underage cigarette use was at an all-time low. Kids who had grown up watching well-funded anti-smoking commercials on television seemed to have gotten the message. During her first few years as assistant principal at Tulare Western High School, Morton said she never heard any talk about tobacco use and rarely caught kids lighting up the old cliché of smoking in the bathroom.
Three years ago things started to change. During that time, Morton said she has seen a steady increase of underage vaping, although it can’t be proven because tobacco doesn’t smell like sour leaf anymore. Instead, it smells like bubblegum, cotton candy, strawberries and churros.
Comments (0)