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