Our Viewpoint

The Local Advisory Council, Western Montana Mental Health Center, Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Clinic, the Tobacco Prevention Specialist for the county and the local schools all have expressed concern about vaping. There have been public meetings and presentations at schools about the dangers of vaping and e-cigarettes. It happens as school, at sporting events and in homes.

Sometimes it’s easy to look the other way and not pay attention or think “my kid would never do that.” We’ve encountered many community members who don’t know what vaping is, or don't understand how it works.

Vaping came about as a tool to help people quit smoking or to rid areas of second-hand smoke. While not all vaping includes nicotine, it's against school policies. If kids are vaping a substance such as tobacco, it's against the law. The U.S. Surgeon General last month declared vaping an epidemic.

And it's not just a problem in other areas of the country. It's happening right in front of us. We all need to take an active role by being good influences and teaching our kids about the dangers of addiction, peer pressure and vaping.

We encourage you to talk to your kids about vaping and the dangers of tobacco use. Studies also show the chemicals in e-cigarette cartridges are harmful.

Local organizations have a wealth of information. Inform yourself and help stop the epidemic.