Postcard to provide concerned adults with information about dangers of vaping

DUNN COUNTY, WI – In December 2019, the Federal tobacco purchasing age was raised from 18 to 21. Health educators plus prevention advocates and coalitions across the state and the nation, applauded this action. Since most adult tobacco users start before the age of 18, they knew that raising the age can help delay or prevent the onset of youth tobacco use!

The Dunn County Partnership for Youth Coalition (DCPFY), a program of Arbor Place Inc., is working to educate Dunn County citizens on how we can all help to protect our youth! Kathy Asper, Manager of Prevention Services at Arbor Place, Inc. and a member of DCPFY notes, “We are learning that some parents and other adults are allowing their children to vape (and in some cases even providing the vapes) because they’ve read that vaping is ‘safer’ than smoking.  We want them to know that ‘safer’ doesn’t mean SAFE!”

To help provide this important information, every household in the county will be receiving a postcard within the next week that was developed by Mackenzie Brooks, A UW-Stout student and a staff member at Arbor Place, Inc. in Menomonie.  The postcard provides parents and other concerned adults with resources about: the dangers of nicotine on developing brains; how vapes can contain MORE nicotine than cigarettes, making them even more addictive; how early nicotine use can increase the risk of using other drugs in the future; and more! It also includes a QR code that will allow readers to link directly to our website for quick and easy access to the resources. DCPFY appreciates the assistance that Allegra Printing in Menomonie and L&M Mail & Courier in Eau Claire provided to get these postcards into the hands of concerned adults!

If you are a parent, grandparent or other concerned adult, talking with the teens (and even pre-teens) you care about CAN make a difference. If you are not sure how to do that, the postcard provides many helpful links to start the discussion. Until then, there is one resource from the CDC, called “Talk with Your Teen About E-cigarettes: A Tip Sheet for Parents”, that can help you prepare. You can find it at https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/documents/SGR_ECig_ParentTipSheet_508.pdf

Visit https://dcpfy.org to learn more about the Dunn County Partnership for Youth, its efforts, and how you can get involved.