The Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs & Constitutional Reform, the Hon. Kathy Lynn Simmons, JP, MP today announced the observance of National Prevention Week, May 7 - May 13. The Department for National Drug Control (DNDC) will hold educational sessions on the dangers and consequences of E-cigarettes/vaping.

The DNDC Prevention Unit has been working in the community to raise awareness of substance misuse and mental health issues, the importance of implementing prevention strategies and evidence-based programming within our community. This year’s focus for the DNDC’s Prevention Unit is Vaping/E-cigarettes.

The most recent DNDC National School Survey conducted in 2019 (school surveys are conducted every three years) reported vaping through e-cigarettes has become an international public health crisis. The lifetime prevalence of vaping ranged from a low of 4.1% for M2 to a high of 41.2% for S4 students. Overall, slightly over one in five (22.0%) of the survey respondents reported vaping in their lifetime. 

This fairly new epidemic is inhaling a vapour created by an electronic cigarette or other vaping devices. These battery-powered smoking devices are filled with liquids such as nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals that are sometimes unknown to the user. Vaping is trending amongst young people. These colourful pop culture devices are designed to attract attention and appeal to young people. 

Prevention Week is a US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) supported observance. 

As the DNDC joins the many organizations that support SAMHSA’s National Prevention Week 2023, we would like to thank our Drug Prevention Partners, SHIFT and CADA, who have been committed to drug prevention efforts for the betterment of our local community.