Dear New Rochelle Community,
I am writing to you today to underscore the importance of talking with your children about the dangers of using drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Last week at New Rochelle High School, we had another student rushed to the hospital in an ambulance after using a vaping device believed to contain cannabis. As I’ve shared in previous correspondence, vaping with any substance in and of itself is very dangerous and can cause permanent health consequences. This danger is increased with the use of illegal substances.
We are fortunate to have counselors working at the high school and our two middle schools who are there to educate and support our students with understanding the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, but we cannot do it alone. As will be shared on an upcoming episode of our district video blog podcast “What Matters Most”, two of our counselors and a student from the high school speak about the importance of open and direct communication between parents and other caregivers and their children about these dangers. Also, it’s important to encourage your children to be involved in activities such as clubs, afterschool and summer programs, athletics, and community service projects. Keeping our children engaged helps keep them safe.
Finally, I’m sharing additional information about the dangers of edible cannabis and urge all adults who make the choice to use these products, to keep them safely out of reach of children. As you can see from these pictures, cannabis producers market them to look like candy and other snacks that look appealing to children.
By working together we can keep our children healthy and safe.
Here are some additional resources for you from the Drug Awareness Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/pdfs/Electronic-Cigarettes-Infographic-508.pdf
https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/documents/SGR_ECig_ParentTipSheet_508.pdf
Sincerely,
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