Teens Vaping In CT To Be Discussed At Forum In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — State Representative Derek Slap (D-West Harford, Avon, Farmington) will host a public forum Jan. 8 in West Hartford to address the “alarming rates” of teens vaping in Connecticut. Following reports from the state DPH and the CDC, Slap is calling on the “help of parents and school administrators to address this growing epidemic.”

The forum will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Hall High School, located at 975 North Main Street in West Hartford. Slap will participate in the forum along with State Representative-Elect Jillian Gilchrest, Hall High School Principal Dan Zittoun, Department of Public Health Tobacco Control and Prevention Program Supervisor Barbara Metcalf Walsh, and students. The panel discussion begins at 6:30 p.m. with a Q & A session at 7:15 p.m. Parking is available in the school’s public lot.

“Every day more and more teens in communities across the state are getting addicted to nicotine through e-cigarettes. Parents are rightfully concerned,” Slap said. “Will their child suffer a lifetime of addiction because of choices made today? As parents, we must come together, get the facts and then ask what we can do to protect our children.”

Carol Blanks, Chair of West Hartford Board of Education, and Shari Cantor, Mayor of West Hartford, shared their concerns on this growing trend in a joint statement:

“The safety and health of our students and young residents is of the utmost importance to us as elected leaders in West Hartford. This trend of rapidly increasing use of e- cigarettes among teens is of serious concern. (We) appreciate Representative Slap’s leadership on bringing state and local leaders together to discuss this important issue.”

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