Hi, CV!

We have the most diligent experts teaching our kids, like TUPE instructor Violet Mesrkhani, PhD. I may have confused you when sharing what a student said to her in one of the Tobacco Use Prevention Education classes, and she set the record straight. Violet warns that “the word ‘vaping’ or ‘vapor’ is usually associated with something innocent as water vapor like from a tea kettle’ and that this very name of ‘vaping’ may make many teens and parents think it’s the same as any water vapor and therefore completely harmless.”

To learn more, Julia and I visited the smoke shop across the street from our office and chatted with the well-informed man behind the counter. There are prominent stickers saying they don’t sell tobacco products to people under 18, and they check IDs. Cigarettes are their top-selling item; Baby Boomers love them! Others purchase electronic devices to cut down on smoking traditional cigarettes, but it’ll take years until we know their true impact. It was great to hear him say the same thing that Violet did about them. There can be propylene glycol, water, flavors and nicotine in those canisters; while it is okay for digestion, no one knows the impact of ingesting heated propylene glycol.

Another oddity, at least to me, is that some cartridges don’t contain nicotine. That means a person’s inhaling propylene glycol or vegetable glycerine – known as e-liquid – water and flavor. While the science is inconclusive, no one disagrees that vaping, e-cigs and hookah aren’t for kids. We might have a better idea about the impact on people who use them to smoke herbs, oil and wax. Joe Allen discusses, “Vaping, E-Cigs and Hookah” Tuesday, March 3 in CV High’s library, 2900 Community Ave. in La Crescenta, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Tonight join us in CV High’s library from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to hear John Howell discuss, “Building a foundation for family to thrive.” It’s free to attend! Bring the kids! Do you know John? His daughter graduated from CV last year, he taught high school in Burbank, and he is a licensed therapist working in Glendale. Hope to see you there!

Suzy Jacobs
is the executive director of

CV Alliance located at 

3131 Foothill Blvd. Suite D

La Crescenta, CA 91214

(818) 646-7867

http://cv-alliance.org/

  Suzy JACOBS