E-cigarettes and other vaping devices took off in 2009, but there has not been much information available about their ingredients or safety until recently. As millions of people have adopted these products, the consequences of regular use are starting to come to light.

Student members of Wilton Youth Council’s Youth to Youth club at Wilton High School (previously Warrior Council) have partnered with Newport Academy, Trackside Teen Center, and the Wilton Library to present Vaping: What You Need to Know with Elizabeth Jorgensen, CADC. Students in middle school and up, parents with children of all ages, and other concerned adults are invited to learn more about how and why kids as young as elementary school are experimenting with, and sometimes becoming addicted to, these new products.

“Some kids are able to quit vaping when they understand that it is important to their parents, but when the child has an underlying disorder, like unmanaged anxiety, then they really do need help to quit,” says Jorgensen. “I have seen vast rates of addiction, particularly in the kids who are most vulnerable. Anxiety disorders are epidemic, and nicotine is one of the oldest effective, short-term anti-anxiety agents that exist. It’s terrible, and causes all kinds of problems. But when kids become addicted, it’s because they have found a way to manage anxiety and perhaps other issues.”

Jorgensen will address common parent questions such as what the most popular devices look like and how they are used, and how to talk with teens about these products and intervene, if necessary. She will share the current research on the risks of vaping, including its potential to serve as a gateway to alcohol, opioid or THC abuse.

The community has two opportunities to attend this informative session, at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13 at Trackside Teen Center and again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at Wilton Library. Visit the Wilton Youth Council website for more information and email Genevieve Eason with questions.

Registration is recommended. Register online for the Jan. 13; or register for the  Jan. 15 event online or by calling or 203.762.6334.

Sponsored by Wilton Youth Council, Newport Academy, Trackside Teen Center of Wilton, and Wilton Library.