Vaping by students in Joliet elementary and high Schools is an epidemic. That’s why the Joliet Mayor, the Police Chief, Police and legislators chose the start of the school year to come together to stop children from vaping.
Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy, Chief Bill Evans and Joliet public schools joined forces in a public effort to highlight the epidemic at a joint news conference on Tuesday. They outlined plans to combat the problem with a multi-pronged effort.
Vaping by minors is against the law, but until recently, no one has been enforcing the law. Since 2023, only one business has been shut down and license revoked. In all, the city of Joliet has only issued 47 citations for violations.
Penalties for selling to minors range from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the number of violations over a 12-month period. Businesses can have their tobacco license revoked if they receive three violations in a one year.
“It’s not enough just to shut down one business. “We must partner with the schools to educate students on the real dangers of vaping,” said Mayor D’Arcy. To that end, the city enlisted the aid of its two major school districts, Joliet Township High School District 204, and Joliet Public School District 86 to promote a program of education on the dangers of vaping.
Dr. Karla Guseman, District 204 superintendent, said vaping is not only a problem in high school, but also at the elementary school level. “Students start experimentation before they enter high school,” she said. “Because of this early access, more students are becoming addicted at a very young age.”
“The problem is access, abuse and addiction,” Police Chief Evans said. “And it doesn’t stop there. Studies find that nicotine addiction not only leads to lifelong health problems, but it sets the stage for other types of risky, and possibly illegal behavior.”
As part of its commitment to eradicating the problem, the city has set up a tip line to report businesses that sell vaping products to minors. Tipsters can call 815-486-1053 or email vapetips@joliet.gov.
Chief Evans said the city enforces state laws that prohibit the sale of tobacco products to minors by issuing citations and revoking tobacco licenses.
“Enforcement isn’t enough,” he emphasized. “There has to be education on the dangers of vaping on the front end as well as enforcement and punishment on the back end.”
One of the problems is the creativity of producers of E-cigarettes in making their products seem attractive to minors.
“E-cigarettes come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and colors that make them seem harmless,” Chief Evans explained. “But don’t be fooled. In the end, they are harmful and potentially deadly.”
“Some of the vapers resemble everyday school supplies like magic markers, highlighters or Sharpies,” he continued. “No matter how innocent they may look, they all have one dangerous element in common, the ability to inhale a potentially lethal substance.”
Smoking E-cigarettes, or vaping, involves heating a liquid that contains nicotine. The heat creates an aerosol that is then inhaled, causing damage to the lungs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC, nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development.
Vaping has become a national health care crisis for children and teenagers. The U.S. News and World Report claims that vaping is a regular habit for one in 10 young adults. Additionally, over 2 million elementary and high school students reported using e-cigarettes last year.
Alarmingly, e-cigarette use by high school seniors is higher than cigarette use was 10 years ago, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Between 2016 and 2018, e-cigarette use in Illinois increased 45% among high school seniors, and 65% among 10th-graders.
Some students are getting around restrictions on buying E-cigarettes at local stores by purchasing them online. To combat that problem, State Senators Julie Morrison of Lake Forest and Meg Loughran Cappel of Shorewood sponsored a bill that would prohibit the shipping of e-cigarettes to anyone in the state that is not a licensed retailer.
Senate Bill 3098 would prohibit electronic cigarettes purchased by mail, online or through other remote sales methods from being shipped to anyone in the state other than a distributor or retailer. The bill was signed into law and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Michelle Stiff, Joliet Township High School District 204 Board president, said she contacted Joliet and state officials to address the prevalent issue and went to Springfield to testify on child access to e-cigarettes.
“In 2023, 10 percent of high school students and 4.6 percent of middle school students had used e-cigarettes in the last 30 days,” she said. “That is why we must have tougher policies in the workplace to combat this epidemic.
To help parents identify common vaping products they may have overlooked, District 204 will host a health expo from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 22 in Joliet Central High School. There will also be a trailer on site that recreates a teenager’s bedroom so parents or guardians can identify signs of alcohol and drug abuse, eating disorders or self-mutilation in their children. mmayer@thetimesweekly.com
