Shaler Area School District will host a parent and community education event, “Vaping, Addiction & Your Child,” on Thursday, May 16, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the middle school with a vendor and resource fair offering a variety of local and state resources for individuals looking for specific information about vaping, addiction, prevention, treatment and support.
The speaker series will begin at 7 p.m. with a presentation from Rebecca Kishlock, director of tobacco cessation and education programs for Breathe Pennsylvania.
“In a 2017 Pennsylvania Youth Survey, about 30 percent of students in grades six to 12 indicated they had used nicotine in a vaping device,” Kishlock said. “Teen perceptions of risks associated with using electronic cigarettes has decreased, and there’s a common belief that they are ‘safe’ — so much so that e-cigarette use among youth has been declared an epidemic in the United States. We want to have an open conversation with parents so that they, in turn, can have conversations with their children.”
Dr. C. Thomas Brophy, a Shaler Area graduate who specializes in emergency and addiction medicine, will present “The Truth about Addiction” starting at 8 p.m. to talk about how the teen brain works, how addiction occurs, and various recovery and treatment options.
Between the speaking sessions, participants will have the opportunity to explore Teen Scene: Hidden in Plain Sight, which includes a display of items from a mock teen’s room that may indicate substance abuse or other risky behaviors. Parents and community members can test their skills at identifying drug paraphernalia, signs of drug abuse, and stealth hiding places.
“As a school district, we value our responsibility to serve and educate our students and community through programming that is relevant and informative,” said Superintendent Sean Aiken.
The Shaler Area Middle School is located at 1810 Mt. Royal Blvd.
