Southern Preparatory Academy, located in Camp Hill, Alabama, is honored to serve as the official military school for Alabama. We are proud of our esteemed history and the unique opportunities we are able to provide young men from 6th – 12th grade to grow and learn under a structure of discipline and self-reliance.
At Southern Prep, we are committed to admitting students who would benefit most from the structure of our school – many who have struggled under traditional school systems, navigated disciplinary challenges, or come from lower-income families. Above all, it is our top priority to ensure that our students are set up for success both in and outside of Southern Prep, now and in the future.
One of my most urgent concerns today about the welfare of many of our students is related to healthcare and the need for our political leaders to encourage the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to do more to address the growing vaping epidemic among middle and high school students.
I, like most educators, have noticed the growing prevalence of disposable vapes in our schools and the numbers don’t lie. Since 2019, the CDC’s National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that youth usage of disposable vaping products is up to alarming levels. More than 2.5 million kids used e-cigarettes in 2022, including 14.1% of high school students and 3.3% of middle school students.
The rise is fueled by disposable vape products that are shamelessly targeting youth. These products come in colorful packages and kid-friendly flavors like pink lemonade, birthday cake, and peanut butter cup that are pushed on social media. Some disposable vapes look like school supplies, making vaping at school even easier and our job harder. These manufacturers are also making their products stronger and cheaper so kids who might not have a lot of spending money can still get hooked. Disposable e-cigarettes sold in the U.S. nearly tripled in nicotine strength, quintupled in e-liquid capacity, and dropped in price by nearly 70% between 2017 and 2022, according to a recent Truth Initiative® study published in Tobacco Control.
What is so frustrating is that disposable, flavored vapes are not supposed to be sold in the U.S. In 2020, the FDA began cracking down on vaping by requiring e-cigarette manufacturers to get regulatory approval in order to sell their product. To date, the agency has authorized only 23 specific e-cigarette products, all of which are tobacco-flavored alternatives to cigarettes, targeted at adults. Adults should be free to choose, but illegal products — most notably the disposable and flavored vapes that are most popular among youth and teenagers—should not be marketed to our children.
The presence of vapes seems to be becoming normalized for students and their awareness about the harm that these products can cause to the user and those around them remains stubbornly low. But we know the risks. The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that vaping poses significant risks, including damage to the heart, lungs, and parts of the brain that control attention and learning, as well as an increased risk of addiction to other substances. Beyond their physical health, vaping can also negatively impact a student’s academic success. A 2021 study found that students who began to use e-cigarettes missed assignments, skipped classes, and reported lower GPAs than those who didn’t use tobacco products.
At Southern Prep, our parents and teachers are doing what we can to help students make healthy choices, but we need help. The FDA must do more to get the illegal vapes targeting kids off the shelves. I hope our politicians will encourage the FDA to do their job.
Jared Norrell serves as President of Southern Prep Military Academy.
