Turning Point Times Winter 2023

Winter Update

• Alcohol Literacy Challenge – 37 seventh grade students were taught about the differences between physical and mental effects of alcohol, and how alcohol marketing conditions people to look past the physical effects of alcohol.
• D.A.R.E. – Turning Point Coalition sponsored Orrville Police Department Officer Dan Sottosanti to attend the D.A.R.E. Officer Training Academy in Columbus. Officer Sottosanti recently finished his first ten-week session with 17 seventh grade students, and is currently doing another ten-week session with 20 seventh grade students.
• Hidden in Plain Sight – 17 members of Orrville Exchange Club participated in Hidden in Plain Sight training. This training teaches adults different methods that teenagers will use to hide substances in their bedrooms, and the importance of communicating with youth about substances. Members enjoyed going through the mock bedroom and finding the various hiding places.
• RAPA Presentations – RAPA Teen Institute taught 42 seventh grade students about the dangers of vaping, and talked to 42 eighth grade students about what they should expect when they get to high school.

What is in an E-Cigarette?

Youth vaping continues to be one of the most pressing concerns about youth substance use. Ease of access, the ability to easily hide most vaping devices, and misinformation spread around the internet have brought vaping to the same level of youth use as alcohol and marijuana. The dangers of using alcohol and marijuana are well known, but not as much is known about vaping. E-cigarettes are marketed as being safer than traditional tobacco cigarettes, but they contain several chemicals that can severely impact physical health. Here is a list of ingredients that researchers have found in e-cigarettes:

• Nicotine – a highly addictive substance that negatively affects adolescent brain development
• Propylene glycol – a common additive in food; also used to make things like antifreeze, paint solvent, and artificial smoke in fog machines
• Carcinogens- chemicals known to cause cancer, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde
• Acrolein – a herbicide primarily used to kill weeds, can cause irreversible lung damage
• Diacetyl – a chemical linked to a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans aka “popcorn lung“
• Diethylene glycol – a toxic chemical used in antifreeze that is linked to lung disease
• Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, lead
• Cadmium – a toxic metal found in traditional cigarettes that causes breathing problems and disease
• Benzene – a volatile organic compound (VOC) found in car exhaust
• Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs

Researchers are still investigating the impact e-cigarettes have on physical health. In the meantime, other concerns have been raised about how vaping is being marketed to youth. Vaping liquids come in a variety of flavors including mint, fruits, and candy. These flavors are highly marketable, and they are the most commonly used flavors among youth who vape. Vaping liquids contain some of the deadly chemicals listed above, and some vapes even contain THC. No amount of vaping is safe, especially for young people, and research continues to show just how deadly vaping is.

Check out the links below for more information.

We are looking for speakers who work with youth or are also involved in the prevention field. Collaborating with community partners has been the key to our success, and we enjoy learning about how others approach the work we do.

If you are interested in talking to us about how you are serving youth in the community, or your role in substance use prevention please reach out to us at coalitionscommunication@gmail.com.