Marin County Grand Jury
• 2024-2025
Vaping An Under-the-Radar Epidemic Report Date: May 9, 2019
⚠️ Aviso de traducción: Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 11 findings
F1
Most vaping products are nicotine delivery systems that are designed to appeal to youngsters, are highly addictive, and may cause life-long health problems.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
Student vaping in Marin County is an epidemic that is increasing and reaching younger students including those in middle schools.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
The Marin County Office of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services are leading diligent efforts to curb youthful vaping, but the public does not fully understand that vaping is an epidemic and the health damage it causes.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services, the Marin County Office of Education and all school districts should increase initiatives to provide students, parents, and the community with more information and support on vaping prevention and cessation. Initiatives should include digital and social media content, including materials for middle and high schools.
R2
Marin County Office of Education should create and make available resources for students, parents, teachers, and the community stressing the dangers of vaping and where cessation assistance can be obtained.
F4
Many students in schools in Marin County are not aware that vaping products contain nicotine, that it is highly addictive, and can severely damage their health.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services, the Marin County Office of Education and all school districts should increase initiatives to provide students, parents, and the community with more information and support on vaping prevention and cessation. Initiatives should include digital and social media content, including materials for middle and high schools.
R2
Marin County Office of Education should create and make available resources for students, parents, teachers, and the community stressing the dangers of vaping and where cessation assistance can be obtained.
F5
Many parents don’t know about vaping. They can’t recognize vaping devices, are not aware that their children are vaping, and may not know the severe damage to health vaping can inflict.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services, the Marin County Office of Education and all school districts should increase initiatives to provide students, parents, and the community with more information and support on vaping prevention and cessation. Initiatives should include digital and social media content, including materials for middle and high schools.
R2
Marin County Office of Education should create and make available resources for students, parents, teachers, and the community stressing the dangers of vaping and where cessation assistance can be obtained.
F6
Vaping cartridges can be refilled with substances including cannabis extracts that are several times stronger than the marijuana smoked by previous generations.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
Peer pressure leads many adolescents to take up and continue using vaping products. Peer to peer programs and coaches effectively help students deal with peer pressure.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The Marin County Office of Education should partner with high school coaches and the Marin County Athletic League, educate them on the dangers of vaping, and develop a program to stress those dangers to the members of their teams.
F8
All government bodies in Marin County do not ban the sale of flavored tobacco. To be effective, a ban must be county-wide and be vigorously enforced.
Related Recommendations (2)
R5
All municipalities in the county that have not banned the sale of flavored tobacco products should do so within the next year.
R8
All law enforcement agencies should coordinate the enforcement of sales bans on flavored tobacco.
F9
Adolescents who want to stop vaping face unique problems that make it extremely difficult for them to quit. To date, no cessation programs that address their special needs exist in Marin County.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services should work with the local medical community, including Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Healthcare and the Marin Healthcare District to establish teen nicotine cessation programs.
F10
Vaping aerosols are odorless, smokeless, and hard to detect. However, commercial devices to detect vaping aerosol are available and can be installed in school areas where vaping commonly occurs.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Each school district should install vaping detectors in school bathrooms and other areas where vaping frequently occurs.
F11
Mentholated tobacco products are damaging to health, but not all flavored tobacco ordinances in the County ban them.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
Novato and Fairfax should amend their tobacco ordinances to include menthol flavored tobacco products.