SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls School District and the Sioux Falls Health Department are working together to fight against vaping among students.
“The resources already existed at the state level, at the national level. So, we didn’t want to recreate that wheel, but rather put a localized spin on that and connect them right here in Sioux Falls and the options they have available to them through various resources,” Public Health Prevention Coordinator Shelby Kommes said.
The ‘Break the Clouds’ campaign connects students and their parents with resources to educate themselves about vaping. The school district and the city are distributing ‘Quit Cards’ that have tools on how to quit vaping.
“It could be through nurses, through principals, through school counselors, and also just having them available throughout the school. Maybe in their advisory classrooms or other locations that are frequented by the students. And we’ll also have some here at the health department available to distribute as well,” Kommes said.
The campaign looks to help students as young as elementary school and even provides support for adults trying to quit.
“Unfortunately, we have seen and heard of students in the elementary grades, vaping. And so that was another thing that really was alarming to us. And when we started hearing things like that that we really needed to get resources out there,” SFSD Health Services Coordinator Molly Satter said.
The school district said vaping doesn’t just affect the user.
“We hear from other students who are maybe in the building who know that other students are vaping, perhaps it’s in the bathroom or things like that, or just being worried about your friend who now seems to have an addiction to something,” Satter said.
It’s an effort to keep students safe, while bringing awareness to an important issue.
More information on the ‘Break the Clouds’ campaign can be found here.
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