Power of Putnam Executive Director Bill Gibson said opioid abatement money could be used to deploy research based strategies to reduce vaping.
Upper Cumberland counties will soon receive its first share of settlement money from pharmaceutical distributors. Gibson said he believes some money should be used for cessation programs to help youth addicted to nicotine.
“Vaping has become a huge issue for our region, across the state and around the country really,” Gibson said. “It’s so accessible and so much easier to hide rather than traditional cigarette smoking.”
Gibson said the issue is the low perception of harm among the youth. Gibson said he believes most kids would never pick up a cigarette, but vaping has a stigma of being a better alternative. Gibson said the long-term consequences are really unknown since it is mostly unregulated.
Gibson said the organization has seen some success fighting vaping though. Power of Putnam has a partnership with the Putnam County School System and health department. Gibson said instead of punishing students, the organization requires an eight-week training as an alternative.
