LIBERTY, NY — On November 13, Sullivan 180 brought together nearly 20 community leaders from government, education, public health, substance use treatment and law enforcement for the first roundtable discussion focused on vaping prevention. 

E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are the most commonly used tobacco products by youth. Sullivan County schools have suffered a dramatic uptick in students using vapes and potentially becoming addicted to nicotine. 

Nicotine can have dangerous effects on many parts of the body, but particularly on the developing brains of adolescents. Many e-cigarettes sold have high levels of nicotine but are masked by fruit and candy flavors that are enticing to young people. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, most middle and high school students who vape want to quit and wish they had never started.   

This initial roundtable laid the foundation for the development of a Coalition for a Vape-Free Sullivan (the coalition), which will coordinate efforts to decrease youth vaping through prevention, education and enforcement. At the same time, it will help youth currently vaping through intervention and cessation. 

Schools are regularly processing referrals and issuing disciplinary follow-ups for students caught vaping, said Dr. Robert Dufour, district superintendent. This leads to significant time wasted by school staff and administration. Resources and programs are needed to educate students about the dangers of e-cigarettes. 

Echoing Dufour was Liberty Middle School assistant principal Katlyn Rusin. She said that vaping was happening so regularly in their school bathrooms that it’s hard to keep up, and they need the help of outside programs. 

Several participants were concerned about how easy it is for children to obtain products that are supposed to be illegal for people under age 21. Amanda Langseder, senior director of prevention programming for Sullivan 180, said, “It’s hard to parent teens in this community and keep them safe when products designed for adults are so readily available to them. Parents need the help of convenience store staff to follow the law, which means verifying age for anyone under 30.”

“Today we distributed 17 kits that will be delivered to gas stations across the county, aimed to help raise awareness about protecting our youth from the harms of tobacco use,” said Nicole Blais, Sullivan 180 prevention coordinator. “We welcome volunteers to help us with this effort so we can make sure every location selling tobacco has a digital age-verification calendar and appropriate signage as just one means of keeping these products out of the hands of our youth.”

John Liddle, commissioner of Sullivan County’s health and human services department, emphasized that many people and organizations have an important role in protecting youth from vaping, including parents and caregivers, educators and school administrators, health care providers, law enforcement and community agencies. 

The coalition will implement evidence-based policies, programs, and services to reduce youth vaping by working together and coordinating efforts. 

To join the coalition or learn more, email Langseder at alangseder@sullivan180.org or call 845/295-2681.