Louisiana
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
ST. MARTIN PARISH — As the Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $604 million, excitement is growing in St. Martinville, where a quick stop at a convenience store has many imagining what they would do if they won.
The jackpot, the largest Mega Millions prize offered so far this year, drew plenty of attention at Simmis Mart. Some customers were ready to buy tickets, while others simply enjoyed thinking about the possibilities.
Charlotte Wilson said she has noticed that major lottery jackpots often seem to be won outside Louisiana, but that has not stopped her from hoping.
“When they do hit it’s always out of state. It’s never in Louisiana in a little small town, but if you do hit and I win!” Wilson said.
The excitement extended beyond customers. Store employee Vicky Williams admitted she would not mind seeing some of the jackpot come her way.
“I need to get some of that. I could use some of that money,” Williams said.
Among those purchasing a ticket was Shakina Hart, who said playing the lottery is something she has done before, “I’ve played it in the past, but never won the Mega Millions, so yes, I’m hoping I’m winning on this,” Hart said.
For Wilson, hitting the jackpot would be about more than the money. She already knows exactly how she’d put it to use.
“First of all, I’ll buy me a house and a nice car, and I’ll take care of the homeless people because they have a lot of those that need somewhere to live who are hungry and homeless,” Wilson said.
Hart said her priorities would center on her family, especially her children’s education.
“I have one that wants to be a lawyer and one that wants to be a doctor, so the money would definitely help with their school funding and basic care needs,” Hart said.
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Friday July 10th. While the odds of winning remain long, the growing jackpot has many people holding onto the same thought: What if their numbers are the ones called?
Louisiana
Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Welcomes Inaugural Class – Leaders for a Better Louisiana
Nearly 40 years after launching Louisiana’s premier statewide leadership development program, Leaders for a Better Louisiana is proud to announce the inaugural class of Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows, marking an important new chapter in the organization’s longstanding commitment to developing informed, connected leaders equipped to address the state’s most pressing challenges.
Building on the proven model and legacy of Leadership Louisiana, the Health Fellows program brings together leaders from across healthcare, business, public policy, higher education, philanthropy, and community organizations to gain a deeper understanding of the systems, opportunities, and challenges shaping health outcomes across Louisiana. Throughout the year, fellows will participate in immersive sessions across the state, engaging directly with healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, workforce leaders, and innovators while exploring the issues that influence the health and well-being of Louisiana’s people and communities.
“The strength of Leadership Louisiana has always been its ability to bring together accomplished leaders from different sectors and regions to learn from one another while developing a broader understanding of our state,” said Sheree Blanchard, Director of Leadership Louisiana. “The Health Fellows program extends that tradition by focusing on one of Louisiana’s most significant opportunities for improvement. We are excited to welcome this outstanding inaugural class.”
The inaugural class represents a broad cross-section of Louisiana’s healthcare and civic leadership, with participants serving in hospitals, health systems, higher education, business, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and community-based organizations throughout the state. Together, they bring diverse expertise and perspectives that will strengthen dialogue and collaboration around Louisiana’s health challenges and opportunities.
“From the beginning, our vision was to create a program that mirrors the excellence and impact of Leadership Louisiana while taking a comprehensive look at the many factors that influence health outcomes,” said Blanchard. “This first class reflects the caliber of leadership we hoped to attract, and we look forward to watching these fellows build lasting relationships and develop new ideas that will benefit communities across Louisiana.”
Leadership Louisiana has graduated more than 1,600 leaders over nearly four decades, creating one of the state’s strongest cross-sector leadership networks. Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows builds on that foundation by providing participants with a focused exploration of Louisiana’s healthcare landscape while reinforcing the program’s longstanding commitment to collaboration, informed leadership, and service to the state.
The 2027 Health Fellows class will begin its yearlong experience this summer with sessions held in multiple regions of Louisiana.
View the complete roster of the Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows inaugural class.
NEW ORLEANS, La (WVUE) – A new education center in the town of Jean Lafitte is giving visitors a chance to learn about south Louisiana’s coast.
Dave McNamara explores how the center combines history, culture, science, and a walk through a cypress swamp in the heart of Louisiana.
For more, visit the Heart of Louisiana archive here.
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