On Tuesday, January 28, 2020, student representatives from the Buford High School (BHS) Vaping Attention and Prevention Club (VA2P) met with Governor Brian Kemp to discuss current legislation being proposed to regulate the e-cigarette sales. Senator Renee Unterman sponsored State Bill 298 which would raise the purchasing age of e-cigarettes to 21 years-old, including vaping products without nicotine.
VA2P leadership Marco Borrego, Juan Borrego, and Jada Carabello were accompanied by the club’s advisor, BHS English teacher, Jeff Gillis, to the Capital as they testified before the State Senate on the detriments of vaping to the health of youth today. The U.S. Drug and Food Administration (FDA) reported that over 4 million students in middle school and high school participated in vaping in 2018.
This is the inaugural year for the VA2P Club and they have engaged in many events to provide awareness of the vaping epidemic. In October Marco and Juan Borrego traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with Congressman Rob Woodall to bring to his attention their concerns of vaping and discuss opportunities to educate others about the dangers of e-cigarette use. On January 16, 2020, the VA2P Club coordinated informational sessions for our Parent Connect event, which included a keynote address from Northside Hospital’s Smoking and Tobacco Cessation program director, Kenneth Haney.
“I am completely in awe of the remarkable work the VA2P Club is doing not just in our community but also within our state and on a national level,” Buford High School Interim Principal, Scott Chafin commented. “These students excel in the classroom and athletics but still make time to educate others about the vaping epidemic. We are proud of the outstanding ambassadors these students are for Buford High School.”
