NCDHHS Fireside Chat and Tele-Town Hall: Youth vaping prevention and support in schools

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Thursday, Sept. 12, from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how educators and community leaders can address youth vaping and best support North Carolina students.

Event participants include:

• Nnenne Asi, MPH, Youth and Young Adult Tobacco Cessation coordinator, Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch, NCDHHS
• Teresa Beardsley, Tobacco Prevention manager, Albemarle Regional Health Services
• Chanda Battle, EdD, director of Student Support Services, Edgecombe County Public Schools
• Charlene Zorn, parent advocate

More than two million students nationwide use e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, and one in four of these students vape every day. In North Carolina, more than 12% of high school students use tobacco products and more than 9% use vapes. Many middle and high school students who vape want to quit and have tried to do so.

Fireside chat and tele-town hall panelists will discuss:

• The impacts of vaping on youth
• Signs children and teens may be vaping and how to help
• Where to find free vaping prevention resources and programs
• Ways schools can help prevent youth from vaping or help them quit, including alternatives to suspension

Tobacco use often begins in youth and can affect children’s and teens’ social, athletic and academic experiences. Resources and materials are available to help teachers, coaches, administrators and school staff support students who want to quit, engage parents and caregivers, and create evidence-based school policies to reduce tobacco use on campus.

The fireside chat will stream live from the NCDHHS Facebook and YouTube accounts, where viewers can submit questions. The event also includes a tele-town hall, which invites people to listen in and ask questions by phone. People can dial into the event by calling 855-756-7520 Ext. #106460.