Vaping Symposium for Pediatricians and Family Practitioners

Putnam Communities That Care Coalition and Putnam County Health Department Partner to Host a Vaping Symposium for Pediatricians and Family Practitioners

The Putnam Communities That Care Coalition and the Putnam County Department of Health joined forces to sponsor a symposium to address the adolescent vaping epidemic that is affecting our youth. Northwell Health Pulmonary Disease Specialist, Richard L. Stumacher, MD and Westchester Medical Group Pediatrician, Daniel A. Cohen, MD held an insightful discussion for Pediatricians, Family Practitioners, School Nurses, and others in the health services field.

The event was held on April 3, 2019 at Tilly’s Table in Brewster, NY. Topics included vaping myths and misconceptions, harmful effects of vaping, and tips on how to discuss vaping with patients and parents. The symposium is a step toward working collaboratively with medical professionals and the community at large in protecting our youth from this growing health crisis.

In a 2018 the Prevention Needs Assessment administered to 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students in Putnam County found that our youth are vaping nearly twice as much as the national average of students in the same age categories (2018 Monitoring Our Future). Tobacco-21, a law passed by Putnam County in January 2019, has raised the legal age to purchase tobacco and vape products from 18 to 21 years of age.

“Putnam County is moving in the right direction by limiting commercial access of tobacco and vape products, however, challenges remain. Vaping among teens has become a public health problem that is interfering with academics, causing health issues, and creating a whole new generation of individuals addicted to nicotine. Of greatest concern is the growing number of teens vaping THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana”, stated Marie O’Connor, Project Coordinator for the Prevention Council of Putnam/Putnam Communities That Care Coalition.

The Putnam Communities That Care Coalition is currently running a campaign with local business partners to empower parents to “Talk to your kids about the dangers of vaping”. For information or follow us on Facebook@putnamctc, Facebook@preventioncouncilputnam, Twitter@putnamctc, Twitter@preventionptnm, and Instagram@preventionalptnm.

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Submitted by Carmel, NY

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