CONTRIBUTED BY JUSTIN MILLER, ACES
AUBURN — According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as of 2024, more than 1.6 million middle and high-school students nationally use vapes. While this number is high, it marks the lowest level of use in a decade. So, who gets the credit for this decline? Many organizations play a role in vaping prevention, but a major player in Alabama is none other than the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Through Escape Vapes — a suite of vaping education and prevention programs — Extension professionals are working directly in Alabama communities and schools to unveil the risks of vaping.
As the assistant principal at Opelika Learning Center, Tamarcus Milner knows all too well the influence vaping has on his students. He said he believes the two biggest reasons for its popularity are peer-to-peer influence and the use of vaping as a stress reliever. When trying to figure out a way to teach students about vaping, Milner said the Escape Vapes program sort of fell in their laps, and he knew it was the answer.
“Regina Meadows is someone I’ve done a lot of work with in the community in the past,” Milner said. “When she reached out and wanted to come and educate the kids on the dos and don’ts of vaping, it was a no-brainer for us.”
Connecting with Students
Meadows is an Extension health and wellness agent who teaches Escape Vapes in schools and communities. Adrienne Duke Marks, a human development and family studies specialist with Alabama Extension at Auburn University, developed the program. Comprised of four program areas, the initiative targets not only teens but also parents, guardians and other adults for a well-rounded approach to vaping education and prevention.
The Opelika Learning Center is an alternative learning program for the city school system. Whether the students are there for a short or extended amount of time, Milner said the administrators and teachers are committed to providing a holistic learning environment. He believes programs like Escape Vapes help ensure that they educate their students in every way possible.
“We as educators can’t close our eyes and ears to what goes on outside of our school buildings,” Milner said. “We are very appreciative of Ms. Meadows and Alabama Extension for coming here and providing that resource.”
A lot of the health-related effects of vaping are not felt immediately. Because of this, Meadows said one of the biggest challenges she faces is getting students to see the bigger picture and understand the long-term risks and addiction they are facing.
“They think vaping is just a leisurely thing to do.” Meadows said. “It smells good, it tastes good, everybody’s doing it, or so that’s what they’ve told me. It is really important that they have a clear understanding of the effects of vaping on their bodies. Vaping is so addictive, and they oftentimes don’t even realize that they’re addicted to it.”
Lasting Impressions
When teaching the program, Meadows makes it a priority to create learning environments that are free of judgment and ridicule. Instead, she wants to connect and engage with the students in a way that gains their trust and creates an open conversation about vaping.
“I never go in with ‘you better not do’ or ‘you shouldn’t do’ when talking with students,” Meadows said. “My goal is to make sure that they are informed and know the effects of vaping. I’ve had the opportunity to do that here at Opelika Learning Center, and it was a great experience.”
When teaching students of any age, they are not always the easiest crowd to win over. However, Milner said it was warming to see his students being so open and receptive to the Escape Vapes program.
“I give credit to Ms. Meadows on making the presentation more informal and personable for them,” Milner said. “I would strongly suggest having this program in some form or capacity at your school.”
As an alternative learning program, he knows that, rightly or wrongly, schools like Opelika Learning Center can carry a stigma with them. However, Milner’s mission is to push through these preconceived notions and show that his students are rightfully worthy of learning just like any other students.
“It speaks volumes to have an entity such as Extension to come in and say, ‘We want to teach your kids,’ because it shows us there’s no separation,” Milner said. “How we can continue to grow as people, as a society, is to have more education.”
Extension Does That.
Want to start the conversation about vaping in your school or community? Connect with an agent in your area by visiting the Escape Vapes Programs and Resources web page at aces.edu.
While Extension does vaping education and prevention programs throughout the year, that’s just scratching the surface of all the resources available through Alabama Extension. To discover even more about what Extension does, visit aces.edu/discover.
