The rise of vaping has been a skyrocketing activity over recent years for teens, and it is one that has taken hold with one major misconception – that it’s a better alternative to cigarettes. That could not be any further from the truth. On Monday, students heard from one of the nation’s leading voices on the subject about how getting involved with vaping from a young age can drastically impact their life.. and even end it.
Michael DeLeon is the founder of Steered Straight. After being released from prison, DeLeon earned several college degrees and formed Steered Straight in 2007 to influence teenagers to avoid falling into the trap of drugs, substance abuse, gang activity, and more. Since 2007, Steered Straight has presented to 9,200 schools and 14 million students across the United States.
On Monday, DeLeon presented to Binghamton high school and middle school students during the school day, along with a community presentation in the evening at Binghamton High School’s Helen Foley Theatre, about the negative effects that getting involved with alcohol, vaping and marijuana can have on the development of teenagers.
He explained how vaping and new, more potent ways of using marijuana are a grave danger to the health of young people. Overall in the United States, 70 percent of addiction in adults is the direct result of nicotine, alcohol, and THC use as an adolescent. Respiratory disorders are the third-leading cause of death, and they are currently the sixth-leading cause of death in people aged 15-24. This is a drastic increase from it being the tenth-leading cause in 2010 and the sixteenth-leading cause in 2000. The big cause for this is the rise in vaping over the last 20 years.
Another growing concern DeLeon noted is the rise of fentanyl poisoning cases associated with vaping. Fentanyl poisoning is the number one leading cause of death in those under 20 years old in 19 states. New York is one of those states. Part of this problem, DeLeon explained, is how fentanyl is being added into counterfeit pills to appear as well-known brands of medication. The most effective way of avoiding this potentially fatal mixup, is to avoid recreational use of pills from the start.
Michael DeLeon’s experiences and expertise are an amazingly valuable asset to young people whose minds are still developing. The chemicals involved in vaping can alter that brain development in overwhelmingly negative ways, and even be fatal. It’s important for not just students to know this information, but for families to be aware as well. DeLeon placed a great emphasis on family discussions, and how teens whose families have open and frank conversations about drugs and its dangers are less likely to fall into the trap of addiction. Having one conversation with your child each day, uninterrupted, can make a difference in what your child knows about you and what you can learn about them. As Michael shared, “Kids don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”