Not many people see the changes in our schools like a school administrator. 

A Denver Public Schools’ principal recently sent a letter to fellow educators noting how addictive and damaging e-cigarettes are for youth and pleading with them to help keep flavored vape products off store shelves in order to keep them out of schools. 

“The use of flavored tobacco products in our schools and among our young people is a problem. As a faculty member that works with students daily, it’s hard to watch kids becoming attracted and addicted to flavored nicotine products including menthol cigarettes, e-cigarettes, flavored little cigars, and hookah. In conversations with youth, many have stated that they use these nicotine products because they like the flavors. I’ve heard too many devastating stories of addiction and withdrawal from students and parents. Some kids wake up in the night to vape or can’t make it through a class period to leave and vape or do it while our back is turned.”

According to a Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 38.9% of Denver youth have at least tried vaping, and 20.5% of youth in Denver use e-cigarettes specifically because they are flavored. 

“If we can do any single thing to safeguard our young people from nicotine addiction and the associated morbidities, I believe that we should take those steps.” the principal wrote to administrators. 

Black health organizations say it is time to ban the sale of menthol. Learn more: https://coloradoblackhealth.org/cbhcs-new-awareness-campaign-tackles-menthol-tobacco-use-in-the-black-african-american-community/