Student Assistance Program

Vaping linked to COVID-19 risk in teens and young adults
August 11, 2020: According to a new study, among young people tested for COVID-19, those who vaped were five to seven times more likely to be infected than those who did not use e-cigarettes. “Teens and young adults need to know that if you use e-cigarettes, you are likely at immediate risk of COVID-19 because you are damaging your lungs,” said the study’s senior author, Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, professor of pediatrics.

According to the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey, nearly one in five high school students (19.6%) use e-cigarettes, with nearly forty percent of them (38.9%) doing so on 20 or more of the past 30 days. This number has only risen with the COVID pandemic. This website serves as a community resource, as we attempt to help youth and other community members to make safer choices. If you would like additional information not provided here, please contact Janet Potter, Student Assistance Provider (SAP), at potterj@hartfordschools.net.

You can also reach out to our community drug-free grant partner, Hartford Community Coalition (HCC), at Hartford Community Coalition.