On April 16, Breathe New Hampshire presented to Pembroke Academy students in two sessions during Period 1. Breathe New Hampshire program manager Kim Coronis spoke about the dangers of vaping.

Breathe New Hampshire, which was launched in 1916 under the name New Hampshire Association for Prevention of Tuberculosis,  has adjusted its name to fit with the times.

With the rise of popularity in vaping among younger citizens, Breathe New Hampshire’s presentation was aimed at educating the student body about the dangers of using Juul and other forms of vape pens.

“We actually had two communities call our office seeking information, so over a year ago we developed the vape presentation to create education and awareness about the dangers and potential harms of vaping,” said Ms. Coronis.

Ms. Coronis said in the presentation that the marketing of the vape products are targeted at young consumers, as opposed to older people who are trying to quit smoking, which was the original intention.

After speaking about vape product packaging, Ms. Coronis spoke about how vape pods can be poisonous to pets and younger children. A lot of these cartridges mirror the packaging used for candy products and smell desirable, yet the oils and chemicals can be toxic if ingested.  

However, scientists have yet to produce conclusive research in regards to the long-term effects of vaping, given its relative newness to the market.

While the packaging of vape products read that vaping may cause cancer or reproductive harm, there is speculation that one of the long-term effects of vaping may include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) due to the corrosion of the metal heating coils in the pens making their way into people’s lungs.

“Just because these flavorings are used in food products, doesn’t mean they’re safe to inhale heated up with a bunch of chemicals,” said Ms. Coronis. “The FDA approves the flavorings for consumption but not for any type of inhalation.”

The students’ responses to the presentation varied.  

“I thought she [Ms. Coronis] gave good information, but it was very repetitive,” said senior Hannah Serafin.

While senior Emily Lacasse agreed that the information was good, she didn’t believe it would help anyone. “Kids are going to be kids regardless of what adults say,” she said. “I did think it was cool to talk to Officer Gaskell about the consequences of vaping if you’re underage or on school grounds though.”

Ms. Coronis will be presenting to parents and community members on April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Pembroke Academy auditorium.

Admission is free.