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Why have so many Louisiana teens started vaping? This expert says: Ask them.

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Why have so many Louisiana teens started vaping? This expert says: Ask them.


Louisiana has one of the highest rates of teen vaping in the country.

In 2023, 30% of high school students in Louisiana reported using e-cigarettes in the past month, compared with 17% of high schoolers nationwide, according to state and federal surveys.

Louisiana schools have struggled to deter students from vaping, which some do in bathrooms and hallways.

Young people who vape face health risks and are more likely to start smoking cigarettes. Yet many teens view vaping as safer than smoking and are drawn to e-cigarettes for their flavors, said Mattie Hawkins, a regional manager at the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living, or TFL, which promotes tobacco-control policies.

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Hawkins spends her time talking to teens about tobacco and its negative impact on the brain and body. Last month, TFL hosted the “Rise Above Vaping Symposium” at Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, where students were given a safe space to share their experiences with e-cigarettes.






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Humana addiction services manager Jeny Rodrigue hands a fast food gift card to student Jam Jordan after he answered a question correctly about the dangers of vaping at Istrouma High School during the Vaping Town Hall on Thursday, October 24, 2024.




“Just being around other students, they were able to have honest and open dialogue,” Hawkins said.

The conversations with students have helped Hawkins and her team better understand what draws teens to vaping — and what might convince them to stop.

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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What do you hear from young people about why they started vaping?

Some of the main reasons students may start vaping are, of course, curiosity. They may have family and friends who vape, so they could deal with peer pressure or they may just see them and also want to do it.

Our youth also struggle with stress and many different mental health issues, so that’s a reason, too. They may be attracted to the different flavors of vapes, or they might think it looks cool.

Why has vaping become so much more popular with teens than smoking?

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When e-cigarettes were created, they were marketed as being safer than cigarettes. But studies have shown that they’re actually not safer.

A pack of 20 cigarettes is equivalent (in nicotine content) to one JUUL pod.

What does vaping look like in school? 

They are easy to sneak in. We’ve heard from principals that kids are just grabbing their parents’ (vapes) and they think it’s OK, they think it’s cool and don’t see it as being harmful.

You have some parents who may actually buy it for their students because they don’t see it as an issue. And then you have older students who are able to purchase vapes from local smoke shops who don’t pay attention to age requirements.

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So those kids are able to get them into schools and pass them among each other. Some kids pick them up off the ground, too, which is nasty.

How do you talk to kids about quitting?

I have to let them know, “I’m not condemning you, I’m not judging you, but these are the facts. These are the statistics when it comes to vaping.”

I tell them about the health issues that may affect their body in the long run. 

Can you go into more detail about the problems vapes can cause?

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Recent studies have shown that vaping can lead to urinary and bladder cancer for youth.

Kids typically first try tobacco around 13 or 14 years old, and smoking can be detrimental to brain development. The human brain doesn’t stop developing until around 25, and tobacco stunts its growth, so kids often have issues with focusing and memory. They also tend to struggle with anxiety.

How can parents help their kids quit?

The first step in prevention when it comes to family is being open and having those conversations, explaining to youth the dangers of tobacco use.

Once again, not condemning them, but just having that open dialogue where they’re able to tell you something.

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What can schools do to combat vaping?

With schools, we have a Live Vape Free tool kit, which is a comprehensive online tool kit for schools to take the lead in responding to the youth vaping epidemic. These kits guide schools in how to create a tobacco-free environment that prevents students from using products like e-cigarettes. It also supports students who need help quitting.

The tool kit encourages schools to lessen the punitive consequences for smoking. Students who are caught vaping face the possibility of being expelled, so the kit offers guides for coaching or hosting sessions to talk about why kids shouldn’t do this. It’s about positive reinforcement.

What was the idea behind the recent anti-vaping event your group hosted at Istrouma High School?

The Rise Above Vaping Symposium was actually a pilot event, so it was our first time hosting it.

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We brought together middle school and high school students to educate and create awareness about the harmful effects of vaping.

They had the opportunity to share their personal experiences with vaping, and we had an open discussion where we wanted to understand the factors contributing to the vaping epidemic among youth and develop an actionable, peer-to-peer intervention strategy.



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Three-point shooting gives Minnesota an edge over Louisiana – Crescent City Sports

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November 30, 2024

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Three-point shooting gives Minnesota an edge over Louisiana – Crescent City Sports


Golden Gophers dial up key scores after Ragin’ Cajuns make push to start second half

WESTWEGO, La. – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball team’s comeback bid was turned away by Minnesota’s three-point shooting which allowed the Golden Gophers to pull away for a 68-48 win on Saturday, November 30 in the Big Easy Classic at the Alario Center in Westwego, Louisiana.

Minnesota (9-0), which finished with a 10-0 advantage in three-point makes in the contest, made seven three-point baskets after Louisiana (3-3) sliced its deficit to 33-29 at the 7:51 mark of the third quarter.

After trailing by 14 points through one quarter of play the Ragin’ Cajuns received a spark from Nubia Benedith and Tamiah Robinson who combined for 12 points in the second quarter. Benedith hit a driving layup at the 2:04 mark capping off her personal seven-point contribution and moving UL within striking distance at 29-22.

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The Ragin’ Cajuns attacked the basket early on in the third quarter, a combined three layups from Kamryn Jones and Jaylyn James in the first two-plus minutes dropping the Minnesota lead to four points. Jones scored on the break at 7:51 to make it 33-29 and prompt a Golden Gophers timeout.

Minnesota responded with a pair of triples in the next minute to extend the margin to 40-29 and the third triple of the frame had the Cajuns chasing at 45-29.

The Golden Gophers went back to the three-point well to lock up the victory, starting the fourth quarter with a three-point make on each of their first three possessions to advance the lead to 59-33 by the 8:41 mark.

Louisiana kept battling despite the fourth triple of the quarter upping Minnesota’s lead to 62-34. Robinson’s layup at 7:49 triggered a 10-0 run that was completed with a putback layup from Jones at 3:04 making it 62-44.

The Ragin’ Cajuns improved their shooting percentage to 33 percent (17-of-52) and limited Minnesota to 39 percent (26-of-66), but were outdistanced in the defeat by the Golden Gophers’ 30-point edge from beyond the arc. UL was unsuccessful on all seven of its three-point attempts.

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Minnesota established the lead from the start, reeling off a 9-0 run in the game’s first three minutes. After Robinson’s second-chance layup at 5:35 cut UL’s deficit to 9-4, the Golden Gophers produced an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to move ahead comfortably at 17-4.

Jones paced UL’s scoring efforts with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting while Benedith and Robinson finished with nine points apiece sparked by their second quarter output.

Louisiana completed play in the Big Easy Classic with its second straight defeat after entering on a three-game win streak.

Saturday’s contest marked the first-ever matchup in program history between Louisiana and Minnesota.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana returns to the Cajundome on Saturday, December 7 to face Rice in a 2:00 p.m. contest.

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The matchup with the Owls begins the final three-game stretch of non-conference games ahead of the December 29 Sun Belt opener at Georgia Southern.

Rice visits the city of Lafayette for the first time since December 1997 and makes its first-ever appearance in the Cajundome. The two programs last met in November 2021 in Houston, a 73-69 win for Louisiana.

Live television coverage is available on ESPN+, radio coverage on the Ragin’ Cajuns Radio Network and live stats available at CajunStats.com.

FOLLOW THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin’ Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsWBB), Facebook (/RaginCajunsWBB) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsWBB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Women’s Basketball.

Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin’ Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.

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Why Texas gets 9 miles of off-shore territory but Louisiana gets 3 — and how it could change

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20 hours ago

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November 30, 2024

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Why Texas gets 9 miles of off-shore territory but Louisiana gets 3 — and how it could change


WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Garret Graves intends to sprint toward the finish line for the 118th Congress, which convenes Monday and disbands in a month, by pushing an issue he has been working since he was a Capitol Hill staffer 20 years ago.

“This has been an ongoing effort for me, for many years, to give Louisiana parity,” Graves said.

Graves, a Baton Rouge Republican who steps down when the 119th Congress assumes office on Jan. 3, teamed with Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, on a bill that would give Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama the same offshore sovereignty as Texas and Florida — moving the boundary line from three nautical miles to nine — thereby allowing Louisiana control of more energy exploration and fishing rights.

Graves said last week in announcing the Offshore Parity Act of 2024, “I’m not sure who was negotiating for us generations ago, but that is just ridiculous.”

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History, rather than bonehead negotiators, played a greater role in setting state sovereignty over offshore waters.

Back in the 1600s, control of territorial waters off the coast was legally determined by how far a cannon could fire over the sea. The “cannon shot” rule gave nations control of their coastal waters for three nautical miles — roughly three and half miles on land.

As secretary of state in 1793, Thomas Jefferson claimed the United States boundaries extended three nautical miles into the territorial sea.

The independent Republic of Texas joined the United States in 1845 after breaking away in 1836 from Mexico, which itself had declared independence from Spain 15 years earlier. Florida also joined the union in 1845 after Spain relinquished rights to both territories.

Offshore sovereignty under Spain extended three leagues — roughly nine nautical miles off the coast. Those boundaries were set for Texas and Florida in the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo of 1848.

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When both states rejoined the union after the Civil War, the same boundaries were kept. Everywhere else stayed at three nautical miles.

Generally, a state has sovereignty over the sea, the air above, and the bed below the sea within those limits.

The sea is vast and nobody really cared for generations, except for occasional squabbles over fishing rights.

That is until the 1940s when technology had progressed to exploit the oil and natural gas discovered in pockets underneath the Gulf of Mexico and off the California coast. With big money involved, territorial waters became a states versus federal rights debate.

Several states claimed jurisdiction over mineral and other resources off their coasts. Multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions honored the nine-mile jurisdiction for Texas and Florida, three miles for everyone else, based on historical treaties. In 1947, the high court found that states had no title to resources beyond those limits.

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Congress enacted the Submerged Lands Act of 1953 that limited states — except Texas and Florida — to three nautical miles off their coasts.

In 1969, the Supreme Court found that Louisiana could not prove its jurisdiction extended three leagues into the Gulf when the state joined the union in 1812.

The Graves-Carter bill addresses the legal imbalance.

“Our bill fixes this disparity by giving all Gulf states the same nine miles of energy, fisheries and other resources to manage,” Graves said. “Energy production in Louisiana waters will result in new revenue to rebuild our coast and protect our people and energy infrastructure. And Louisiana fisheries management will remain the best in the country.”

Carter likened the bipartisan bill to a tool in the debate.

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“This is a critical step toward equality, ensuring Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama have the same authority over their waters as Texas and Florida,” he said.

The lame-duck 118th Congress has scheduled 12 days of work on Capitol Hill in December. During that time, Congress must pass legislation addressing this fiscal year’s appropriations or the federal government will shut down.

Congress also must approve defense spending, consider a $98 billion addition to the disaster recovery fund, plus extend the life of flood insurance and the Farm Bill.

Getting the Graves-Carter bill to the president’s desk will be a tall order, particularly given 400 years of history and U.S. dependence on oil and natural gas revenues to the national treasury.

On the other hand, the incoming Trump administration promised unfettered exploitation of offshore energy production. Giving states the ability to lease more sea bottoms will circumvent many federal restrictions to achieve that goal.

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How to Watch Louisiana Tech vs. Kennesaw State: Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – November 30, 2024

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November 30, 2024

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Arkansas State Red Wolves and the Hofstra Pride square off in Nassau, Bahamas


Data Skrive

The Kennesaw State Owls (2-9) will take on Tru Edwards and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (4-7) on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

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Want to watch the matchup between the Bulldogs and Owls? You can do so on ESPN+.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

Ashton Jeanty punches in the touchdown, extending Boise State’s lead over Oregon State

Ashton Jeanty punched in the touchdown to extend the Boise State Broncos lead over the Oregon State Beavers.

Learn more about the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the Kennesaw State Owls.

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How to Watch Louisiana Tech vs. Kennesaw State

  • When: Saturday, November 30, 2024 at 4 p.m. ET
  • Location: Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana
  • Live Box Score: FOX Sports

Read More About This Game

  • Louisiana Tech vs. Kennesaw State Predictions

Louisiana Tech’s 2024 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/31/2024 vs. Nicholls State W 25-17
9/14/2024 at North Carolina State L 30-20
9/21/2024 vs. Tulsa L 23-20
9/28/2024 at Florida International L 17-10
10/10/2024 vs. Middle Tennessee W 48-21
10/15/2024 at New Mexico State L 33-30
10/22/2024 vs. UTEP W 14-10
10/29/2024 at Sam Houston L 9-3
11/9/2024 vs. Jacksonville State L 44-37
11/16/2024 at Western Kentucky W 12-7
11/23/2024 at Arkansas L 35-14
11/30/2024 vs. Kennesaw State –

Louisiana Tech 2024 Stats & Insights

  • Louisiana Tech has struggled on offense, ranking 24th-worst in the FBS (334.8 yards per game) this season. However, the defense ranks 23rd-best in the nation, allowing only 316.1 yards per game.
  • Louisiana Tech is putting up 227.6 passing yards per game offensively this season (64th in the FBS), and is allowing 190.4 passing yards per game (28th) on the defensive side of the ball.
  • While the Bulldogs’ defense ranks 45th with 22.4 points allowed per game, they’ve been a little worse on offense, ranking 22nd-worst (21.2 points per game).
  • While the Bulldogs’ run defense ranks 38th with 125.7 rushing yards allowed per game, they’ve been worse on offense, ranking 15th-worst (107.2 rushing yards per game).
  • Louisiana Tech is averaging a 39.4% third-down percentage on offense (76th in the FBS), and ranks 33rd defensively with a 34.2% third-down conversion rate allowed.
  • With 16 forced turnovers (50th in the FBS) against 19 turnovers committed (104th in the FBS), the Bulldogs’ -3 turnover margin ranks 87th in college football.

Louisiana Tech 2024 Key Players

Name Position Stats
Tru Edwards WR 67 REC / 805 YDS / 6 TD / 73.2 YPG
Evan Bullock QB 1,700 YDS (66.1%) / 14 TD / 2 INT
-93 RUSH YDS / 1 RUSH TD / -8.5 RUSH YPG
Jimmy Holiday WR 30 REC / 358 YDS / 2 TD / 32.5 YPG
Omiri Wiggins RB 355 YDS / 1 TD / 32.3 YPG / 4.2 YPC
19 REC / 118 REC YDS / 2 REC TD / 13.1 REC YPG
Kolbe Fields LB 59 TKL / 5 TFL / 1.5 SACK / 1 INT
Zach Zimos LB 58 TKL / 5 TFL / 0.5 SACK
David Blay DL 33 TKL / 6 TFL / 5 SACK
Blake Thompson DB 46 TKL / 2 TFL

Kennesaw State’s 2024 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/31/2024 at UTSA L 28-16
9/7/2024 vs. Louisiana L 34-10
9/14/2024 at San Jose State L 31-10
9/28/2024 vs. Tennessee-Martin L 24-13
10/4/2024 vs. Jacksonville State L 63-24
10/15/2024 at Middle Tennessee L 14-5
10/23/2024 vs. Liberty W 27-24
10/30/2024 at Western Kentucky L 31-14
11/9/2024 at UTEP L 43-35
11/16/2024 vs. Sam Houston L 23-17
11/23/2024 vs. Florida International W 27-26
11/30/2024 at Louisiana Tech –

Kennesaw State 2024 Stats & Insights

  • Kennesaw State ranks second-worst in total yards per game (260.4), but it has been more effective on the other side of the ball, ranking 105th in the FBS with 410.5 total yards allowed per contest.
  • Kennesaw State ranks eighth-worst in passing yards per game (140.6), but it has been more productive on the defensive side of the ball, ranking 99th in the FBS with 237.6 passing yards allowed per contest.
  • The Owls have not been getting things done on offense, ranking 10th-worst in the FBS with 18 points per game. They have been more effective on the other side of the ball, giving up 31 points per contest (107th-ranked).
  • The Owls rank 106th in the FBS with 119.7 rushing yards per contest on offense, and they rank 97th with 172.8 rushing yards allowed per game on the defensive side of the ball.
  • With a 36.5% third-down conversion rate on offense, Kennesaw State ranks 97th in the FBS. Defensively, it ranks 88th, giving up a 40.8% third-down rate.
  • The Owls have not done well in terms of turnovers, as their turnover margin of -7 is 24th-worst in the FBS.

Kennesaw State 2024 Key Players

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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