Thank you to the South Orangetown parents who attended last night’s vaping workshop at South Orangetown Middle School and to CANDLE Rockland Prevention Program Director Jacqueline Sellin for sharing valuable information about this important topic.
“According to the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey, roughly three million middle and high school students in the U.S. reported that they had used some form of tobacco products within the past 30 days,” said Sellin. “We see that oftentimes if a student begins vaping, they are more likely to try other substances.”
“This is a topic that is not only talked about with our prevention counselors, CANDLE and our PTA’s, but it’s happening in our health classes and the D.A.R.E. program at SOMS. We brought back the D.A.R.E. program to talk with students about vaping prevention and to encourage our students to make healthy choices,” explained Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services Karen Tesik, Ed.D. “The hardest part is that parents need to know what to look for. Any family is able to set up a meeting with one of our prevention counselors and their child so you both can learn more. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“Education about substance use is so important so people understand how addictive vaping can be. Start by talking with your healthcare provider to learn more about resources that are available to help your child quit vaping,” said Tappan Zee High School Prevention Counselor Annie Scott.
“It’s common for parents to think that their child would never start vaping so they don’t question them. You’re allowed to be curious and ask questions to see if they actually are vaping or they’re facing peer pressure to start. There’s a role that every student plays so even if they’re not doing it, your child may be able to help their friends prevent or stop that behavior if you have that conversation with them,” noted South Orangetown Middle School Prevention Counselor Bobbie-Angela Wong.
“While we have students that may talk with their friends about quitting vaping or avoiding it all together, parents are peer leaders as well. It really comes full circle so talking with fellow parents about attending workshops like this one or small group workshops through the Family Engagement Center can make a huge difference,” added FEC Coordinator AJ Walker.
Families are encouraged to check out candlerockland.org/vaping for information and resources and/or to contact School Prevention Counselors Bobbi-Angela Wong (bwong1@socsd.org) and Annie Scott (ascott@socsd.org).
