About Vaping

Dear Middlesex Parents;

The teen vaping epidemic is sweeping across the country and we want you to be aware of the latest and most accurate information to support your family and your community. Teen vaping poses a serious public health crisis for our students.

In an effort to proactively confront the teen vaping epidemic, I would like to ask parents and families to have conversations with their children and teens over the summer around the hazards of vaping and “JUULing”. The State of Massachusetts has put together an informative new website with the latest information about the dangers of vaping, helpful tips on how to talk with your children, resources to help quit, and other resources for schools:

http://makesmokinghistory.org/dangers-of-vaping/

For a more specific review of the JUUL, the world’s most popular vaping device, I encourage you to visit the Tobacco Free Kids website:

https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0394.pdf

Lastly, our minds are far more engaged by storytelling rather than a list of facts; this is especially true for teenagers. For this reason, once you’ve become familiar with the vaping basics, we suggest beginning conversations with your children by watching the following YouTube videos together:

SMOKE AND MIRRORS (Short Documentary Under10min):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTKu0A2ym0M

JUULERS AGAINST JUUL (Short Documentary – Under 10 min):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EsNG7RcStQ

GET THE VAPE OFF YOUR BACK (Skit – Under 1 Min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpStELDsGSU

Thank you for the privilege of educating your children. I look forward to working with you throughout the year to support your child’s growth and education. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Have a wonderful summer break!

Meg McLaughlin, MS, FNP

Director of Health Services