Increased senior government support to fight various forms of vaping in BC's schools was a hot topic of discussion at a recent BC School Trustees provincial council meeting. (FreePik.com)

By Ian Holmes

vaping epidemic

B.C. school trustees call for help to curtail rising youth vaping rates

Oct 30, 2019 | 2:16 AM

NANAIMO — BC school trustees are calling for senior government help to fight rising vaping rates among students across the province.

BC School Trustee Assn. President Stephanie Higginson said there was strong approval at a weekend provincial council meeting to have resources on vaping widely available for youth.

Higginson, who’s also a Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools trustee, said documented health concerns from vaping across North America speaks to the urgency of the issue.

“There are long-term health implications for our young people who are vaping and they may not know it,” Higginson said. “We’re really trying to make sure that we treat this in the same way that we treat tobacco.”

Higginson said revising current smoking cessation programs to include vaping is critical given ever-rising e-cigarette use.

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The motion will be presented to B.C.’s ministries of health and education and to provincial health authorities.

Higginson said it will also be presented to the Canadian School Board Association to advocate for support on the federal level.

She said strong mental health programs need to be included in the vaping discussion.

“We know kids who have access to mental health support are less likely to vape, and so we know this is part of a bigger issue,” Higginson said.

Higginson said school district’s across the province are spending more time policing vaping regulations which aren’t being followed.

Mid Island medical health officer Dr. Paul Hasselback addressed e-cigarette use at a School District 68 education committee meeting in September.

Dr. Hasselback told local trustees more information was required to learn the health risks associated with the various vaping products on the market.

“We’re probably looking at a dependency that is as severe as to a cigarette and perhaps even more so because of some of the delivery mechanisms,” Dr. Hasselback said during a slide-show presentation.

Dr. Hasseblack said vaping is probably a safer alternative than cigarettes.

“However it’s not a choice for someone whose never developed that dependency,” he said.

Hasselback cited a 2016/17 survey indicating the number of Canadian youths who used an e-cigarette product rose to 23 per cent.

— with files from The Canadian Press

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes