Connecticut

Opinion: Flavored vapes and Connecticut’s youth: a call for action

Published

6 months ago

December 16, 2025

Opinion: Flavored vapes and Connecticut’s youth: a call for action

My generation grew up thinking we would be the ones to bring teen smoking to an end. But then came the cotton candy vapes.

They were, and still are, everywhere you look. Back in middle and high school, I remember friends had them in their backpacks and hoodie sleeves, they even used them in the school bathrooms.

This past summer, I witnessed firsthand the real impact it has had. My friends and I took a girls’ trip, and one day, we decided we wanted to blow up a pool floatie. Given that we didn’t have an air pump, the only option was to do it manually. One of my friends, who has vaped regularly for years, couldn’t get more than three breaths in before giving up. She began coughing and ran out of breath. It was funny for a second…until it wasn’t.

This was the moment that made me realize how this epidemic is hurting the people closest to us.

When e-cigarettes first hit the market, companies claimed that they were safer than smoking real cigarettes and that they would help adults quit smoking, when in reality, they’ve only really done the opposite for young people. Vaping may look harmless because of the fun flavors, names, and colors on the packaging, but the reality of it is way darker. E-cigarette use can lead to cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, and even long term damage to the airways that can make something as simple as inhaling a serious struggle. These devices push harmful chemicals deep into young people’s lungs, disrupting their bodies in ways they’re not even aware of until it’s too late.

A Yale-led study found that one in four Connecticut high school students and one in 30 middle schoolers had already tried vaping. This may not seem like much at first glance, but the fact of the matter is that a vast majority of adolescents know at least one peer who vapes, at the very minimum. A large portion of the teens from the study preferred sweet and fruity flavors, and many students who had never smoked cigarettes before began experimenting with nicotine through vapes, which demonstrates that flavored e-cigarettes are a gateway, not a solution.

The problem is not just about curiosity. The brain is not finished developing until about age 25. This time is critical in the development of areas like attention, memory, and decision making. The CDC mentions that nicotine exposure during these earlier years of development can impair brain chemistry, having outcomes that linger into adulthood.

Despite this, vape companies continue to sell what seems like nicotine candy to minors, disguised in bright packaging and flavors like “blue razz” or “mango blast.” When you think about it, it makes sense that as soon as companies began seeing a decline in sales, they had to figure out a way to create new products that were trendy, tasted good, and addictive.

Our neighboring states, such as New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, have already taken action to address this issue. Massachusetts, for example, passed its 2019 Tobacco Control Law, which banned all flavored nicotine and tobacco products. These states were able to recognize the problem for what it is, a public health emergency. How is it that states just hours away have taken initiative to protect their youth, and Connecticut still hasn’t banned the very flavors that helped hook an entire generation?

While nothing in CT has become law yet, lawmakers have tried. Senate Bill 326, An Act Concerning Flavored Tobacco Products, was designed precisely to restrict the sale of flavored nicotine and vaping products across the state of Connecticut, however, it did not pass. As a result, flavored vapes remain widely available and attractive to younger audiences.

It’s time for that to change. Connecticut should revive, strengthen, and reconsider SB 326 to create a statewide law to ban flavored vapes, mirroring our neighboring states. The law should eliminate all non-tobacco flavors from retail shelves and increase penalties for selling to minors. Taking this step towards better health and a future for our youth would do more than just reduce teen vaping rates, it would also send a clear message that the health and safety of our children are valued and prioritized over the profits of the tobacco industry.

When I think back to that summer afternoon, watching my friend struggle to breathe, I can’t help but feel how preventable it all is. Our generation came so close to ending teen smoking, we never would’ve thought that nicotine would come back disguised as a fruit flavored cloud. If Connecticut wants to protect its minors, it’s time to clear the air once and for all.

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Connecticut

Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027

Published

8 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Press Room

Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:

I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!

A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.

German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.

German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.

German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).

Top SCY Times:

50 Freestyle: 23.54
100 Freestyle: 51.35
200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
500 Freestyle: 4:53.19

A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.

German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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Connecticut

Strong Storm Emerges For Northern Connecticut: Here’s When, What To Know

Published

18 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Press Room

Strong Storm Emerges For Northern Connecticut: Here’s When, What To Know

Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

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Connecticut

Developing story: Crash closes Taft Bridge on Connecticut Avenue NW

Published

1 day ago

June 21, 2026

Press Room

Developing story: Crash closes Taft Bridge on Connecticut Avenue NW

WASHINGTON (7News) — A Park Police chase ends with a moped rider getting hit and killed on the Taft Bridge in Northwest D.C.

7News’ Washington, D.C. reporter, Phylicia Ashley, went to the scene moments after it happened Saturday evening and spoke to multiple witnesses.

Ximen DeFillippes was riding her bike near Woodley Road when she saw the chase.

ALSO READ | Secret Service detains fleeing driver after deadly crash near White House

“The Park Police passed me. We were on Woodley Road. And then I saw the car they were pursuing,” said DeFillippes. “It was going very fast on the sidewalk. It drove up on the sidewalk up Woodley Road.”

DeFilippes was on one side of the Taft Bridge.

“I’d never seen anything that crazy,” said DeFillippes. “It was, it was like really like homicidal. It was just insane. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

7News also saw the aftermath of the chase and found Lamont Penry on the other side of the bridge. He also saw the chase. It ended on the steps of the Chinese Embassy staff housing.

“The car crashed into the diplomatic car,” Penry said. “A young man jumps out, takes off running down the street. The other three guys came out kind of dizzy. They apprehended one who was on the bench. One was at the rear. Tire of the vehicle, looked to be a Camry, and the other was on the other side of the diplomatic car.”

In the middle of the bridge, 7News saw the victim’s body covered by a white sheet. Witnesses said that when the chase reached the Taft Bridge, one of the vehicles involved struck someone riding a scooter.

“Once the gentleman on the bridge was hit. We realized that no one stopped,” said Penry. “Police continued the pursuit until here, and then they turned around.”

RELATED | President Trump allows US Park Police to chase fleeing vehicles

Penry said all the alleged suspects involved looked young. While on scene, 7News saw one person get arrested and placed in an ambulance.

DeFilippes was riding her bike when she said two cars blocked her from getting caught in the midst of the chase.

“I’m feeling lucky that for those few seconds of my path being kind of blocked,” said DeFillippes. “I’m just so glad that happened. Or else I would have been right there. I’m not at all surprised that someone was hurt. Just. Just from the way everything was unfolding, I could just tell it was going to be bad.

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