Vaping in Nassau County

December 19, 2019

Amy Pipkin

Amy Pipkin, Prevention Coordinator with Starting Point Behavioral Health, made a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners on December 18th, 2019, about the vaping epidemic here in Nassau County.

Referencing her 12 plus years working in schools, Ms. Pipkin stated, “I have seen nothing like it before. . . it is a significant problem.”

The statistics are indeed alarming. According to Pipkin and data collected from Tobacco Free Florida from 2018, one in three youths, aged 11-18, have used tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) and one in three have tried vaping -- compared to just one in twenty in 2012. In comparison, Pipkin noted that just 4% of Florida’s adults vape.

Ms. Pipkin blames the tobacco industry’s marketing, misinformation and the ease of hiding these particular products as contributing factors to the exponential rise in tobacco use among youth. In addition, she made mention of the development of a clothing line (by one of the leading manufacturers of vaping devices) designed for easy concealment of such items.

Commission Chairman Justin Taylor referenced a recent task force meeting he attended on the topic where he learned that such devices were found on a fifth grader. Pipkin added that she has been in contact with a number of Student Resource Officers (SROs) within the school system who shared with her that it is one of “their top concerns.”

Since Nassau County does not issue business licenses (which ended many years ago), it is difficult to control the sale of vaping related products. Similar to a crack-down on internet cafes which rely on the enforcement of nuisance regulations to control activities vis a vis an increase in crime is concerned, the existing “nuisance” ordinance might well be employed to combat the vaping crisis as it relates to adverse health effects.

During discussions, the BOCC, through County Attorney/County Manager will be working with Starting Point and Tobacco Free Florida to further research possible remedies.

Confused as to what is an e-cigarette versus vaping? The Centers for Disease Control posts this:

WHAT‘S THE BOTTOM LINE?

• E-cigarettes have the potential to benefit adult smokers who are not pregnant if used as a complete substitute for regular cigarettes and other smoked tobacco products.

• E-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products.

• If you’ve never smoked or used other tobacco products or e-cigarettes, don’t start.

The CDC website also states:

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. Nearly 40 million U.S. adults still smoke cigarettes, and about 4.7 million middle and high school students use at least one tobacco product, including e-cigarettes.

Every day, about 2,000 U.S. youth younger than 18 years smoke their first cigarette. Each year, nearly half a million Americans die prematurely of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. Another 16 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking. Each year, the United States spends nearly $170 billion on medical care to treat smoking-related disease in adults.

An article printed in the New York Times on December 5th of this year carried the headline:

Vaping Illness Tracker:

2,291 Cases and 48 Deaths

Just five days later, a number of other news sources reported the death toll surpassing 50.

Editor's Note: Born in Hagerstown, Maryland, Cindy received her BA in Political Science from Dickinson College. Upon graduation, Cindy began her career on Capitol Hill working as a legislative aide and director. She later became a part of the public relations and lobbying team of the American Iron and Steel Institute and served as director of the office of state legislative affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Cindy was involved in economic development with the state of Maryland, and served as executive director of Leadership Washington County. As a community volunteer, Cindy participates in numerous volunteer activities serving as a member of Sunrise Rotary, and as board member of Cummer Amelia Board of Directors.