US Rep. Nita Lowey leads roundtable discussion. Ellen Morehouse knows first-hand about the rise in e-cigarette use and the dangers of youth smoking.

Morehouse, Executive Director of Student Assistance Services Corp. (SAS), an MHVC partner in White Plains, NY, met with Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY17/Rockland-Westchester) and other area leaders in August to discuss e-cigarette use among teens. According to a press release from Lowey, “Vaping is a threat to the health of our children… We can’t afford to lose another generation to the harms of nicotine addiction.” Lowey is a leader in the fight to regulate e-cigarettes.

The roundtable included students, student advocates, health professionals, and community leaders, and addresses a wide range of related issues such as marketing and zoning. Some communities have regulations restricting the location of “vape shops” within 500 feet of a school.

“While e-cigarettes may be a safer alternative for those already addicted to cigarettes, they are a major threat to the 96 percent of high school youth in New York State who do not smoke,” said Morehouse, “Teen e-cigarette users are over eight times more likely to become regular cigarette users after one year than teens who do not use e-cigarettes, and e-cigarette using teens often use other drugs such as concentrated THC oil in their e-cigarette devices.”

Congresswoman Nita Lowey with Ellen Morehouse, Executive Director, SAS

“With the ‘Great American Smokeout’ scheduled for November, the focus is not just on tobacco cigarette users but this new threat as well. We hope that our partners and communities take advantage of the resources that MHVC and others have available to help combat this epidemic that is affecting our youth,” said Dr. Damara Gutnick, MHVC Medical Director. “You can download the media materials from last year’s MHVC anti-vaping campaign and get more information from the NYS Smokers Quitline.”