Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
Two LSU student-athletes recently joined members of the Louisiana Attorney General's Office to point out the dangers of vaping to sixth graders at Denham Springs Junior High. Attorney General Liz Murrill's outreach team presented the students with visual displays and take-home handouts providing facts about the dangers and costs of vaping, a news release said. They shared research that shows vaping is highly addictive and can damage the lungs and proper brain development of youth. LSU baseball player Eddie Yamin and LSU gymnast Courtney Blacksmith worked with the presenters to ask the students questions and engage with them in discussions about peer pressure and the need to set healthy priorities. “Our students were able to take away a lot of good information from the presentations, and it was a message they needed to hear," said DSJH Principal Justin Wax. "We have seen vaping become a growing health concern in our community over the past few years, as many children are now vaping by the time they enter middle school.” “So, we were encouraged to get the call from the AG’s Office asking to come to our school with their anti-vaping message, and we applaud our college athletes for joining in on this effort. I think it will make a difference,” Wax said. Renee Roberts, director of outreach for the Louisiana Department of Justice, said her team is partnering with athletes at Louisiana colleges and universities to go into middle schools across the state to deliver their anti-vaping message through three station presentations. The first presentation station provides information about the cycles of addiction and how false advertising is utilized by some e-cigarette companies. They show samples of vapes that are disguised to look like toys and cartons of milk, and they share information on how “tobacco-free” vapes contain harmful synthetic nicotine that is more addictive than tobacco. At the second station, students learn about the effects of vaping on the body. They explain how vaping can harm the brain, heart and lungs. For example, nicotine exposure in young brains can damage receptors, changing the way their brains process information; thereby lessening their ability to learn and causing them to have disruptive behavior. Damage can also be caused by other ingredients in vapes, including nickel, lead, tin, weed killer, formaldehyde and other toxins. The students also learned alternatives to vaping to cope with peer pressure and anxiety. Students and team members talk about appropriate responses to peer pressure and healthy alternatives to relieving stress. Students are given an Anti-Vaping Jr. Agent Field Training Manual that provides information from the sessions in a fun, comic-style presentation. “The message is being well received, and in many instances, the teachers and school administrators are asking for even more resources they can share with their students and parents. We have made additional resources available through the Department of Justice website, and we are working with other programs and state agencies to add even more options,” Roberts said. Funding for the Attorney General’s statewide educational campaign comes from a $10 million settlement with e-cigarette company Juul Labs. The funds can only be used for youth vaping prevention and cessation efforts, the release said.
