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PIERRE, SD (KELO.com) — They come in 15-thousand flavors and are loaded with toxic, addictive nicotine. The South Dakota Department of Health has just compiled its 2023 Youth Tobacco Survey. Sierra Phelps, head of the Department’s Tobacco program, says nearly 16-percent of High School Students had used a vaping product within the prior 30 days. That’s triple the number of students who had used tobacco products.
One vaping device can contain the nicotine of 26 packs of cigarettes. That’s one of the reasons health officials are so concerned about the explosion of teen use of the devices. Phelps says the risks for users are many.
Concerns are growing right along with the popularity of vaping devices – and the addictions that develop are just as real. Phelps says the health department has effective tools to help people kick the habit.
The efforts to prevent people from starting the smoking and vaping habits also stretch to the state’s K-12 schools. And, what about the students who’ve already developed a habit? What if they’re caught smoking at school? Phelps says whether it’s cigarettes or vaping devices, education is a better approach than punishing violators with suspension.
Phelps says many of the students who complete the cessation program say they learned a lot in the process, and the knowledge they gained has helped them to steer clear of the habit.
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