By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Having made Montgomery Township residents aware of opioid addiction, a community forum on nicotine addiction has been set for June 14 at the Montgomery Township Municipal Building on Route 206.
"A Cloud Over Our Youth," which is the theme of the forum, starts at 7 p.m. and will be held in the courtroom. It aims to start a community conversation about young people’s use of e-cigarettes – which many youths view as a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes – and what to do about it.
"The number of youths experimenting with candy-flavored e-cigarettes is increasing at an alarming rate," said Health Officer Stephanie Carey of the Montgomery Township Health Department, which is sponsoring the forum.
"In New Jersey, the decisions as to what to do about this problem are delegated to the municipal level," Carey said. "We want to be proactive and collaborate with the community in combating this unhealthy trend."
At the community forum, guest speakers will discuss policy options to protect young people and which policies would be a good fit for Montgomery Township, Carey said.
In addition to Carey, speakers at the forum will include Princeton Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser, who will share Princeton’s recent experience with the issue, and Devangi Patel of the Montgomery/Rocky Hill Municipal Alliance.
Karen Blumenfeld of NJGASP, which is a nonprofit group that educates the public on the benefits of smoke-free and tobacco-free living, will discuss policy options for tobacco and e-cigarette control.
The Montgomery Township public school district will send a representative to the forum, and Girl Scouts from Troops 60015 and 60033 will present a public service video – "Are You Smarter than a Tobacco Company" – that they created.
The nicotine forum follows on the heels of another forum – "In the Blink of An Eye" – held in April that focused on opioid addiction, which has been growing rapidly among young people.
