The Montana Office of Public Instruction has notified Superior School District that it has been recognized as a Tobacco Free School of Excellence. This initiative was established to help school districts and communities prevent and reduce tobacco use by promoting a comprehensive tobacco free policy in schools.

New signs and banners have been hung up around campus that encourage students, staff and visitors to support the tobacco free policy out of pride in their school and concern for their individual health and the health of those using school property, said Barb Jasper, Mineral County public health nurse and tobacco prevention specialists.

Addressing tobacco use in schools is important; tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Research indicates 9 out of 10 tobacco users start by age 18. Montana high school students have one of the highest smokeless tobacco rates in the U.S.

Although cigarette use in teens has decreased in recent years, e-cigarette (vaping) is on the rise. The 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated 50 percent of Mineral County Students reported they had tried a vapor device and 24 percent indicated that they had used a vapor device within the last 30 days.

Superior School has tried to address the increasing use of vaping devices through education and enforcement of tobacco free policy.

“We want to support students in making choices that will lead to improved quality of life. We feel our educators are an essential component in helping students maintain a tobacco free lifestyle and helping them recognize the many benefits of that choice,” said Superior School Counselor Byron Quinlan.

The local health department has also tried to educate parents about the increased use of vaping devices among teens.

“This is relatively new technology and parents often don’t know that use of vaping devices is harmful. Parents may not even know that they are a nicotine delivery because they can look like a pen or even a flash drive. The aerosol from vaping does not have the heavy odor of cigarettes when used and dissipates quickly.

It can smell like the flavors that manufacturers add to appeal specifically to teens; flavors like gummy bear, grape, & bubble gum, The aerosol you breathe in when you use an e-cigarette is not just water, it can contain harmful chemicals and ultrafine particles such as diacetyle, benzene, nickel, tin, and lead” said Jasper.

Most e-juice contains nicotine. Nicotine is especially damaging to the teenage brain. According to the US Surgeon General “Youth and young adults are uniquely at risk for long-term, long-lasting effects of exposing their developing brains to nicotine. These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.”

Jasper praised local schools that are trying to improve their students’ lives through strong policy, education and example. “Superior and St. Regis School Districts have been recognized as Tobacco Free Schools of Excellence and Alberton School is tobacco free and currently looking at policy revision to obtain this special status. I encourage parents to thank school administrators for addressing this issue and clearly supporting a tobacco free lifestyle in their local community.”