Letter: Vaping threat is bigger than people know

By scheduling a Tuesday evening presentation on vaping at the Cloquet High School auditorium, families were offered extremely valuable information to help parents and caregivers in our community protect their children. Vaping is the current, much more dangerous and addictive, “follow-up” to smoking by children, and a habit that can do much to injure brain function.

For me, it was shocking and terrifying to realize that addiction is present in our high school as well as in schools across the nation. We are not exempt here in Cloquet. Every parent today needs awareness of this threat being presented to, and probably enticing, our children.

Sad to say, this awesome opportunity was very sparsely attended. I realize parents are busy and evenings are for sports, games and family time. However, if you have children and were not there, you missed a wealth of information that you need today … right now. Every child is a potential target.

My thanks to Principal Battaglia and the Cloquet High School for offering the parents in Cloquet a chance to be a bit ahead of the game in these most difficult times for parenting.

Jim Crowley, Cloquet

The writer, a former Cloquet teacher, has been a school board member since 2003