The arrest has shed light to a greater issue impacting local youth.
After the May 21 arrest of three men allegedly in possession of more than $113,000 worth of marijuana-laced vaping cartridges, the Gloucester Township Police Department recently held a press conference addressing the growing concern of vaping and electronic cigarettes, particularly among the community’s youth.
Attendees included Mayor David Mayer, Timber Creek Principal Kasha Giddins, registered pharmacist Bill Lynch, GTPD SAVE Advocate Casey Johnson and Barry T. Bailey of Genesis Counseling Centers.
The car search, which unfolded close to midnight at the Wawa located at 800 North Black Horse Pike by officer Doug Wallace, revealed 2,999 cartridges of “PENDEMIC” THC oil in the trunk of a 2017 Nissan Sentra. Each cartridge contained .5 grams of a liquid substance, presenting a 88.94 percent THC label, police said. Cartridge flavors included Honeydew, Mango, Zkittlez, Sour Diesel, Mango Kush, Pineapple Express and Wedding Cake.
The three men inside the vehicles, all from Maryland, including 23-year-old Mahdi El-Abed , 23-year-old Francisco J. Madrigal and 32-year-old Amin El-Abed, were charged with various drug-related offenses, according to police.
This has been one of four arrests regarding vaping and electronic cigarettes in Gloucester Township since November, according to Chief Harry Earle.
“Today is not just a time where we announce a significant arrest,” he said. “But also, where we seek to inform the community of the potential misuse of electronic cigarettes, encourage parents to talk with their children about vaping and continue to inform the community of the unique services we provide for those who abuse substances.”
Earle cited national studies unveiling the surge in vaping and e-cigarette using, especially among adolescents.
There’s been a 900 percent increase in electronic cigarette usage by high school students from 2011 to 2015, according to 2016 report from the U.S. Surgeon General.
Also, a 2016 National Youth Tobacco survey indicated 1.7 million high school students reported they had used electronic cigarettes in the last 30 days.
Earle says similar research was performed among the students in the Gloucester Township Junior Police Academy, Citizens Police Academy and other youth groups, revealing similar results.
“These surveys produced the same consistent conclusion that vaping is becoming increasingly popular, especially among high school students and even some middle school students,” he said.
A major concern, especially in a school setting, is the devices can be mistaken for pens, pencils and flash drives.
Also, unlike ordinary or marijuana cigarettes, e-cigs emit little to no odor.
Marijuana is not the sole use of these contraptions, as heroin and cocaine are also commonly ingested through electronic cigarettes and vape pens, officials said.
The Blackhorse Regional School District is working closely with police in not only training school resource officers to detect and tackle the usage, but also in informing parents about the growing issue, officials said.
“We’re trying to continually evolve with this evolving problem,” Giddins said.
The arrest is especially timely to the area, as Bailey said almost 70 percent of all new adolescent referrals from local schools, including those in Camden County, are connected to vaping.
Bailey, who has been a treatment provider for 30 years, has studied drug reform facilities across the country and continues to notice the dire alternative uses for these products.
“The issue of being able to use these devices to inject harder substances, such as heroin, is real, and it’s on the way here,” he said.
Along with the physical and mental side effects of various drugs, Lynch also presented data from a 2017 Monitoring the Future study, citing that, in the last month, 13.3 percent of eighth graders, 23.9 percent of 10th graders and almost 30 percent of 12th graders have vaped.
Mayer commended the police department on its swift and successful confiscation of the paraphernalia retrieved at the May 21 arrest.
“My gut tells me, some of these cartridges would have found their way into the hands of a minor,” he said. “And as a parent, that gives me some great, great, concern.”
He stressed the township and police department are continually striving to inform the public, particularly parents, on the existence and dangers of electronic cigarettes and vaping pens.
The department recently posted a bulletin on its social media outlets and website about the details of these devices and uses. The township also is continuing its Project SAVE advocacy, which includes a certified drug and alcohol counselor in the township’s municipal courtroom.
“We are, today, trying to get the word out there that these devices can be either knowingly or unknowingly used by the children of our community,” Mayer said. “This is a continuing effort that we have here in Gloucester Township.”
