To the editor:
A major health problem is growing among school-age children in the Berkshires and across the country: tobacco use in the form of e-cigarettes or, as they are referred to after the name of the predominate vendor, Juul, “Jules.”
You can help stop this problem by attending a meeting of the Sheffield Board of Health at the Town Hall in Sheffield Monday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. The Sheffield Board of Health will be holding a public meeting dealing with proposed changes to restrict sales of these devices. While some proposed changes are underway on both a national and Commonwealth basis to address this health issue, we cannot wait and must take steps now, as e-cigarette use rose 77 percent among high schoolers and 50 percent among middle schoolers so far in 2018.
Please attend this meeting and advocate for getting this health issue under control on a local basis. This is a public meeting, and you do not have to be a resident of Sheffield to attend. I also ask you to distribute this information to all others you feel might also be concerned about the current and future health of our young people who are using these products. Jules and similar products are actually more dangerous than traditional tobacco products in both the short term and long term.
I close by disclosing that, although I am making this post as a public citizen, I am currently a member of the school committee for the Southern Berkshire Regional School District.
Dennis Sears
Sheffield
