Brown Deer vaping forum answers questions about dangerous epidemic

11/21/19 09:51:am

As the number of people diagnosed with a vaping-related illness continues to rise, Rogers hosted a community vaping forum in Brown Deer in partnership with Children’s Wisconsin and the Brown Deer Police Department.

Amy Kuechler, PsyD, attending psychologist, moderated the panel which aimed to educate the community on the physiological, psychological, and legal consequences of vaping. Members of the expert panel included Dr. Louella Amos, Children’s Wisconsin pediatric pulmonologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin; Officer Jill Zeise, Community Outreach Officer for the Brown Deer Police Department; and Andrew Crisco, psychological assistant at Rogers. Each member of the panel spoke to their expertise on various aspects of the vaping epidemic, including the health risks, the impact of vaping on the community, and ways teens may try to hide that they’re vaping.

“This is such an important issue because many believe that they’re using a safer, tobacco-less product,” says Dr. Kuechler. “But in reality, many users do not know the true makeup of what is in their vape. The cartridges are not regulated, and the results could include death or life-altering consequences.” Dr. Kuechler hopes that those in attendance – and people throughout the community – know that there are resources available to help them deal with the issue of vaping.

Interested in learning more about the vaping epidemic? For those unable to attend the event in Brown Deer, a video recording of the forum is available above. There is also a blog on the topic of vaping to answer some of the most common questions on the topic, featuring information from Michelle Maloney, PhD, director of Rogers Addiction Services.