ST. GEORGE – The rising use of e-cigarettes by area teenagers is the topic of a public presentation by a member of the local health department Wednesday evening in St. George.
The event is hosted by the St. George Catholic Church and presented by Kye Nordfelt, director of health promotions at the Southwest Utah Public Health Department.
Rates of e-cigarette use among teens in Washington County went up 300 percent between 2013 and 2015, Nordfelt said, citing the latest statistics which are available.
“Now, e-cigarettes are the most commonly abused drug in our community,” Nordfelt said. “It’s alarming and it’s something that we need to address as a community.”
Nordfelt said he is grateful for the opportunity to present facts about what is known about drugs, specifically nicotine, that can harm the developing brains of teenagers.
Nordfelt will discuss how parents can determine whether their children are using e-cigarettes along with ways to intervene.
Electronic cigarettes are the future of teen drug use, Nordfelt said. Any drug that can be liquified can be used in an e-cigarette.
“Any drug you can think of can be in there,” he said.
School resource officers have found teenagers using marijuana in e-cigarettes in Washington County schools, Nordfelt said.
Details
- What: Presentation on the dangers of e-cigarettes.
- When: Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.
- Where: Kuzy Hall, St. George Catholic Church, 259 W. 200 North in St George.
- Presenter: Kye Nordfelt, Southwest Utah Public Health Department.
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