Author and speaker Timothy Shoemaker spoke with Burlington Township parents about what they might not know about teens and vaping
Stephen Finn
The Sun
E-cigarette smoking, or vaping, seems to be everywhere these days. It’s not uncommon to see voluminous clouds pouring from a window of the vehicle you are driving next to or trailing behind someone you pass on a sidewalk. If you’ve ever wondered just what is in these clouds people are expelling, you are not alone.
On Thursday, Jan. 31, Burlington Township High School hosted author and speaker Timothy Shoemaker, whose “Vaping: What’s in the Mist?” presentation took a closer look at the rising trend and its effect on young people.
Burlington Township parents might remember Shoemaker from his presentation last year entitled “High-ding in Plain Sight” where he revealed a wide variety of techniques teens can use to hide drugs on their person or in the home.
Thursday’s presentation focused mainly on vaping, specifically its popularity among young people, many of whom think of the habit as a harmless alternative to smoking cigarettes. According to Shoemaker, however, this sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth.
Liz Scott, director of human resources and community relations for the district, introduced Shoemaker and the night’s topic of discussion.
“It’s important that we as a school district give you all that we can to equip you to make a difference and know what is going on right under your noses,” said Scott, addressing the parents in attendance.
“We are seeing a problem across the country when it comes to vaping. We are seeing the same issues here in our community so it’s important that you as parents are equipped with the right information so that you can start having conversations with your children upfront,” said Scott.
Shoemaker’s presentation began with a recent news report from Park City, Utah, where a student at Treasure Mountain Junior High School was hospitalized after passing out from smoking THC out of a vape pen. Two students had previously died at the same school in 2016 after overdosing on a drug known as “pink.”
“None of that stuff is really new to those of us that are endeavoring to learn more about this topic, each one of those is a critical link in the chain that’s going to help us realize how different the environment is for our children today growing up with different drugs, different temptations,” said Shoemaker.
Given his background, Shoemaker could have easily ended up another statistic like some of the horror stories people hear about teen drug use. Instead, his experience growing up around drugs set him on the path he walks today.
“I came up in a difficult environment, and there was a point in my life where everything was going south and I realized if I didn’t get myself together, actually I was forced to get myself together, I would have been in jail or dead,” said Shoemaker.
When he was about 20 years old, Shoemaker decided he would dedicate his life to helping kids find a reason to live life drug-free. He spent 23 years as a police officer and now tours the country speaking with parents and young people alike about the dangers of drug use.
Much of his presentation was dedicated to debunking the idea that vaping is a harmless alternative to cigarettes. He walked the audience through the long history of the tobacco industry trying to convince people they had come up with a “safer” cigarette by introducing things like filters and light versions of their product.
According to Shoemaker, vaping is just the next iteration of this false narrative.
“We have made mistakes in the past, and we’re in the middle of making another one,” Shoemaker warned.
