CSU LIFE
FACULTY & STAFF
SEPTEMBER 2019 OCTOBER OCTOBER 2019 2019
Latinx Heritage Month celebration continues
El Centro kicks off Latinx Heritage Month on Mexican Independence Day with a performance by Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra on the Plaza Sept. 16. Celebration continues through Oct. 15. Photo by Joe Giordano
E-cigarette use prohibited on CSU campus By Makenna Green
In the past few years, vaping — the smoking of e-cigarettes — has had a significant impact on society and youth. According to the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2017, almost 27% of Colorado high school students vape, the highest user rate for youth in the nation. In Larimer County, it was even higher at 32%. Here at CSU, 30% of incoming students reported using e-cigarettes, according to the 2018 AlcoholEdu intervention survey. With the recent reports of hospitalizations related to vaping, attention is shining on former Gov. John Hickenlooper’s policy to decrease all forms of tobacco use. Christina Berg, director of health education and prevention services, and Monica Keele, manager of substance use prevention and assessment at the CSU Health Network, are helping to implement this policy, which has been in place since January. The CSU policy is in compliance with the governor’s order, which prohibits the use of tobacco – smoking, chewing, e-cigarettes, vaping – and non-nicotine vaping on any state property. This includes all university-owned and -controlled buildings, all campuses and offices as well as satellite sites, such as the Mountain Campus. The hope is that this will reduce the use of e-cigarettes and the effects of secondhand smoke, which many do not consider a problem because it creates vapor, not smoke. In fact, the chemical released still pose health risks to anyone who is being exposed. “Hopefully this will move the needle on this issue,” Berg said, noting that it’s been shown that enforcing policies like this is one of the most effective ways to help these issues.
Recent vaping hospitalizations
Berg and Keele said there have been 530 confirmed cases of vaping-related illness in 38 states and one U.S. territory — with two cases in Colorado, both on the Front Range. Many of the users appear to be youth, as companies have realized how to market to this age group. Many others have turned to vaping as an aid to quitting smoking altogether. “Most who use vaping to help quit usually just end up using both products,” Keele said. Others also claim to use the substance to manage stress, but instead, it fuels the stress as the body reacts to withdrawal when not smoking. Both Berg and Keele said that policies like this must not be treated any differently than other policies and that enforcement will help to reduce users. For more information, forms to file for violations of the policy, or for help quitting, visit tobaccofree.colostate.edu.