Vaping has become a crisis across the country, and Hall County is right in the middle of it.
Judy Brownell, Director of Substance Abuse Prevention for Centerpoint in Gainesville, said the issue really came to light about a year ago and the more local health experts and law enforcement learned, the more they believed the dangers of vaping should be the topic of the next forum in the "Not My Family Series."
"I think what happened is it's caught a lot of people off guard - not just us locally, but across the nation," Brownell said. "When I first realized it, I was in a CDC presentation last summer. I had had questions about vaping, but when [the presenter] explained the chemicals and the metals that were in the vape, it was an eye opener for me."
Brownell said kids usually think vaping is harmless - it's just mist and water, as she put it. Parents often think vaping is less addictive than cigarette use, so it's not as harmful to their kids. Both are wrong, Brownell said. She noted that 99% of all vapes contain nicotine, so kids are still becoming addicted.
"What they [CDC] found is that people are smoking cigarettes and using JUULs, and JUULs to me are one of the most dangerous products out there because one pod is equivalent to a pack of cigarettes," Brownell said.
The problem, according to Brownell, is curbing the problem, especially where young people are concerned.
"It has gotten worse and worse," Brownell said. "Parents didn't understand what [vaping] was, young people absolutely didn't understand what they were getting into, so we wanted to bring information to the community, to parents and to youth."
While the forum won't be held until Oct. 10, Brownell said it's important to get the word out early, so people can get the date on their calendars.
In addition to speakers who will offer information on the dangers of vaping, Brownell said there will also be a chance for attendees to go through some practical activities on how to effectively combat vape use in their own homes, in the workplace or other settings. The forum is free and open to the public.
The Truth About Vaping Community Forum
Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019
6 - 8 p.m.
First Baptist Church Banquet Hall
751 Green Street
Gainesville, Ga. 30501
Speakers:
Jay Parrish, Chief of Police, Gainesville, Ga.
Dr. Merrill Norton, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Georgia
Adam J. Raulerson, Business Development Manager, Laurelwood
