JAY — Jayde Couture with Healthy Community Coalition [HCC, part of MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington] gave a presentation on May 13 about vaping to members of a 12-sector coalition working to reduce substance use in the Tri-Town region.

The coalition is part of a five-year $625,000 grant – $125,000 each year for five years – from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Center Disease Control and Prevention to build partnerships and coalitions aimed at preventing substance use among youth that was awarded last fall, LeeAnn Lavoie, director HCC told Regional School Unit 73 directors at their March 27 meeting. Statistics pertaining to high school students obtained from Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey for Franklin County showed 34% reported use of vaping in the past 30 days, she said then.

Some coalition members did not know what vaping was, had asked for more information, Couture said May 13.

“Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol, often referred to as “vapor,” produced by an e-cigarette or similar device,” Couture said. It involves the use of some type of electronic-vapor product, she stated.

A lot of students Couture teaches in a class about vaping believe vapes have anywhere from 40 to 70% water in them, she noted. “This is not true,” she stressed. “There is hardly any water in them whatsoever.”

Vapes come in a variety of styles and forms, with many looking like familiar items, Couture noted. Some backpacks, watches and hoodies have vapes built into them, some resemble pens or highlighters while others come in packaging that have one or two words changed from popular safe products [such as Sour Patch Kids candy], she said.

“You have to read the title, the whole thing,” Cpl. Anthony York, school resource officer with Jay Police Department, said. “It could be just one or two letters off to make it something else.” He added it’s in chocolate bars.

Vapes contain nicotine, some contain cannabis or both, Couture stated.

Couture stresses with students that not everyone is vaping. Data from the Maine Intergrated Youth Survey shows  67.7% of western Maine sophomores have not tried an electronic-vapor product, she said. Students in her classes at the middle school in Jay guessed that 98.2% of high school students and 75.8% of middle school students have vaped, she noted. The reason for those high guesses is the students thought high school students are older, are closer to being able to purchase vapes themselves, she said. At the middle school it is a problem because high school students are providing middle school students with vapes on the bus, she noted.

The survey showed only 19.8% of western Maine sophomores reported they had used an electronic-vapor product in the last 30 days at least once, Couture said.

She showed a slide of vapes York collected from students at the middle school over the last three years. Another slide showed vapes Marc Keller, assistant principal at the high school had collected. “More have been added since then,” Couture said.

She stressed antifreeze, nail polish remover, paint thinner, fireworks and pesticide contain the same ingredients as vapes. Other chemicals found in vapes include nicotine, flavorings, heavy metals and fats and oils, Couture noted.

Popcorn lung [incurable lung scarring] is one of the dangers associated with vaping, Couture stated. It can lead to respiratory failure, the need for a lung transplant and death, she noted.

Some vapes feature flavors such as candy, fruits or cotton candy, Couture said. Bangor and Portland have seen some success with banning flavored vapes, she stated.

Couture also shared a slide featuring a variety of items on it and asked committee members to name those that were vapes. “One student picked out 13 of the 14 vapes in the picture,” she stated. “I thought that was interesting.”

Alcohol use in youth

Survey results showed 36% of high school students in Franklin County reported they had used alcohol in the past 30 days. It is easier to get alcohol now than vape, Couture said. Students are drinking before school, leaving a couple of times to get that adrenaline rush, then drinking after school, she noted.

Couture said she has talked with York about how to get information, resources to parents. Data from the middle and high schools is being collected on suspensions, where in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls those are happening, she stressed. “Being able to reach the parents is needed, they are those who don’t typically come to parent-teacher conferences, concerts and sporting events,” she noted.

Coalition members shared ideas such as a fishing derby, having a van filled with free art supplies available and an end of year activity with free foods and games to get youth and parents to an educational session. “Those who need to show up don’t,” one member stated. Making personal invitations for an event resulted in 90% showing up, it was noted.

Flyers displayed at school, free food, anything free will attract students, one student member stated.

Some parents today think they have no credibility, can’t interfere with their children because they did the same things when they were young, one member stressed. It needs to be attacked at the adult level, he said. Other parents are addicted themselves, he noted.

Many parents are too busy drinking or being high, others want to be their child’s best friend instead of being the parent, York agreed. The message needs to be shared again and again, it might be the 100th time it is heard that it is gotten, he noted.

Substances are used to deal with one’s emotions, one committee member said. Parents can’t leave work when there is an issue, the cost of living is increasing, there is a lot of hopelessness, she stressed.

The coalition plans to have a table at graduation on June 8 this year that will have resource contacts, tips for handling stress and other materials available for youth and parents.

“What I think is important to share is that over 50% of our youth in Franklin County feel like they do not matter,” Lavoie said on March 27. “When they feel like they don’t matter, they are at higher risk for engaging in risky behaviors such as substance use.”

The 12-sector coalition has been formed from across the community, meets monthly with Spruce Mountain graduate Couture as program coordinator, Lavoie said March 27. “We are working on developing strategies with the coalition to address risk and protective factors, things that we know that make a difference in youth using substances and engaging in risky behaviors,” she said. “We have hosted one chem-free event in partnership with Spruce Mountain. We had over 130 students and adults attend a sledding night.”

Anyone is invited to participate in the monthly meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on June 1o in the Spruce Mountain High School library. For more information, email [email protected].