Mooresville Schools To Address Growing Problem Of Vaping

MOORESVILLE, NC — Mooresville Graded School District is holding a public forum Jan. 24 to discuss the growing problem and health concerns of students vaping in schools.

The meeting comes as vaping and electronic cigarette use among teenagers reaches “epidemic” levels in the U.S., according to U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who issued a public health advisory last month. E-cigarettes now surpass cigarette use among middle school and high school aged teenagers, increasing in use by 900 percent between 2011 and 2015, he said. Currently, about one in five high school students and one in 20 middle school students use e-cigarettes, according to the advisory.

MGSD’s program will include speakers and panelists to discuss the health concerns associated with the trend, as well as a mother and son from High Point, North Carolina, who will discuss their family’s experience with vaping and the need for rehab from nicotine addiction.

Speakers include:

• Dr. Matthew CiRullo, Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, will speak on the medical effects vaping has on our youth.
• Carleen Crawford, Regional Tobacco Control Manager, will speak about the trends in vaping, the effects on our youth, and specifically the viral rise in Juuling.
• Major Ron Chilton and Officer Dan Walther, Mooresville Police Department, will speak to the effects Vaping is having specifically within the Mooresville community.

“After brief presentations from each guest speaker, they will form a panel that will be open for questions,” MGSD said.

The Jan. 24 event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Mooresville High School Performing Arts Center in Mooresville.

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