GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – U.S. officials are intensifying efforts to combat a surge in illegal vaping products entering the country, and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office is playing its part to curb vaping among local teens.
Captain Jason Murphy from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office explained that these new vaping devices are often odorless, silent, and disguised as everyday items, making them hard for parents to detect and easy for teens to use in schools or at home.
“I do know that it is a problem in schools. Our SROs are finding kids that have vapes on them,” Murphy said.
Murphy added that these vapes are increasingly difficult to find and represent a newer trend observed across the county.
“Not only for us as law enforcement, for parents, you know. As a parent myself, it’s difficult trying to combat just a regular vape but, now you’ve got something you think you’re buying your kid just as a toy and it’s actually a vape,” Murphy said.
“They look like a little mini video game,” Murphy said, “Markers, they have them in that. Some of the new backpacks, they have a spot built in to conceal your vape and it’s kind of got the holes coming out. Looks like one of those backpacks you use for hydration. So you can actually smoke it while you’re wearing it and no one would know the difference.”
A report from ABC News highlights that most illegal vapes are imported from China and often feature LED lighting, Bluetooth connectivity, or hidden compartments, allowing teens to vape discreetly.
Prevention Specialist Brigitte Baranek of the Genesee County Prevention Coalition emphasized the dangers of vaping for youth, stating that it is not less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
She said that kids are experimenting earlier. “The MDHHS Youth Tobacco Survey, in 2023, reported that 55.6% of youth started using before the age of 13.”
“So knowing that there’s all these different kinds of vapes that are available on the market, the most important thing a parent can do is talk to their child early and often about vaping and its potential harmful effects,” Baranek said.
According to Baranek, the Genesee County Prevention Coalition recently developed a Youth Action Council, bringing youth across Genesee County into their prevention efforts to provide them with an active part of addressing vaping and talking to their peers about it.
Captain Murphy expressed concern about how aggressively these illegal vapes are marketed, especially to teens.
“They’re targeting kids on social media sites to buy them and it looks like candy. I mean, you’re selling a blueberry mint or some say like watermelon candy. It’s just targeted for the younger crowd,” Murphy said.
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office is committed to confiscating these illegal vapes and educating youth on the harmful effects of products with high nicotine levels.
The Genesee County Prevention Coalition created Vape Is No Escape to help parents find resources and guides to help start the conversation about illegal vaping.
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