From: Nicki Vreeland
Columbus
I am in support of the addition of e-cigarettes and vaping to the current smoke-free ordinance in Columbus.
As a parent, I want to share my personal experience with e-cigarettes and vaping. I thought I had educated my children about the harms of tobacco, including smokeless, combustible and e-cigarettes. In addition, my children are not exposed to these products by us or other family members. I was surprised when my own child was affected by the prevalence of the JUUL product in our community.
My sixth-grader was given an empty JUUL pod by a peer and sucked on it while in school. He was initially attracted to trying it because of the fruit flavor and because his peers were also using the pod. His peer was able to bring a used pod that he found on the ground. These students were lucky because they chose an empty JUUL pod that did not have any juice left. Had they sucked on a full pod they could have suffered nicotine poisoning because a JUUL pod is equal to a pack of cigarettes.
While we addressed this issue at home, I believe it is a larger community concern. A change in the ordinance would set a standard for our community about habits that we find harmful. It would communicate to adults and children that these are indeed habits that can lead serious health conditions and problems.
I hope a change in the ordinance will show our young people that we value our own health and theirs by protecting them in public places within our city. I can only hope that a change in our city will lead to changes in the state and the nation about the availability and access to e-cigarettes and vaping.
