Park County Commissioners Learn the Dangers of Vaping

Park County officials learned about the pervasive issue of vaping among Wyoming’s kids.

Park County Commissioners were given a presentation yesterday from Wendy Morris, the Healthy Park County Community Coalition Director at Cody Regional Health, about the basics of vaping and the growing problems they pose.

The formal name for the devices is Electronic Nicotine Delivery System, or ENDS, but they are known better as “vape pens” or “e-cigarettes.” The use of e-cigarettes is 6% among Wyoming adults – that’s double the national average. But it is legal for adults to vape. The real concern, Morris says, is usage with  minors. She points out that, for middle school and high school kids, ENDS are the “coolest, latest, greatest” thing to do, and is growing in popularity. Teachers have drawers full of confiscated ENDS devices and flavored cartridges.

Morris says the effects are not well understood the public – One ENDS cartridge contains as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes, and some kids are doing 4 to 5 cartridges a day.

Morris is working to increase education for students, providing as much information and prevention programs as possible rather than going for immediate punishment.