March 20th was National #KickButtsDay and the SADD chapters are our local high schools will be sharing the following message with their school communities and the table top cards will be displayed at lunch (images below):
Today we recognize national Kick Butts day. While we know the dangers of smoking, our focus today is on the dangers of using electronic smoking devices. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products. Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain and using nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
Scientists are still learning about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.
E-cigarette aerosol is NOT a harmless “water vapor.”
The e-cigarette aerosol that users breathe from the device can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including:
- Nicotine
- Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
- Flavoring such as diacetyl, ( di-a- Cee-tal) a chemical linked to a serious lung disease
- Volatile organic compounds
- Cancer-causing chemicals, and
- Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead
- We care about you and your health. Be smart, don’t start!