ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – According to Public Health, Delta & Menominee Counties (PHDM), cases of young people smoking, vaping, and chewing tobacco are on the rise.
“We work with schools so when a student is caught vaping or smoking on campus, I meet with the student up to four hours and give them education on why vaping is bad for their brains, their bodies, and their lives,” said PHDM Health Educator Melissa Blume.
Blume says as the numbers are growing, the ages are getting lower.
“Since the start of school, I’ve seen 30 students between the two counties,” she said. “The average age of students that I see is 12. I’ve had several students that have been on probation.”
With students’ brains still developing until age 25, Blume says they are literally changing their brain chemistry.
“They’re learning to make choices and develop habits that lead to bad coping skills,” she said. “They’re not finding better ways to deal with cell phones, social media, all of the pressures that they have en masse now.”
Most commonly, Blume sees students vaping and using ZYN nicotine pouches. Often, she finds that exposure starts at home.
“We have a large population that smoke and vape in the Upper Peninsula,” said Blume. “Some kids see it and they think, ‘Because my parents do it, it’s okay,’ or they have easy access to it because parents don’t necessarily think about leaving their vape or their cigarettes or their marijuana just sitting out.”
Over the next six weeks, PHDM is offering a free series at Bay College called Not On Tobacco. The course is aimed at those between the ages of 11 and 20.
“We’re going to cover lots of topics, from helping kids be able to identify what triggers them to want to vape or smoke all the way to what you can do instead of vaping or smoking,” Blume said. “What can you eat differently? Do you need to drink more water? Do you need to exercise more?”
Blume says the key is changing those patterns of behavior, which can lead young people to make better choices. Not On Tobacco will also teach students about overcoming nicotine dependence, managing stress, and strategies to help them stay off of tobacco products.
“Maybe they’re not quite there yet but they might need some more education to make that decision for themselves,” Blume said. “Please come. If you’re ready to quit, great. We are going to do that too. Even if you just want more information, it is a wonderful way to understand how it impacts your body so much.”
Not On Tobacco runs Mondays and Wednesdays from February 3 to March 10. Classes take place from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in Room 233 of the Catherine Bonifas Building.
To register, click here, email mblume@phdm.org, or call 906-789-8116. Click here for more information.
Additional resources to help young people quit tobacco products are available at mylifemyquit.com and Michigan.gov/Tobacco.
