Vaping Education Covered By Grant To Perry Hall HS: Councilman

PERRY HALL, MD — Perry Hall High School will receive a grant to combat tobacco use, according to Councilman David Marks. He said the funding was provided to Baltimore County through the state and would help educate students about the dangers of using tobacco.

The $800 grant will be used toward health and physical education classes where children will learn about the dangers of using tobacco, with an emphasis on vaping, Marks said.

"I would like to thank our administration, faculty, and student leaders at Perry Hall High School for their work highlighting the dangers of tobacco use, particularly vaping," Marks said in a statement Tuesday.

News of the grant comes the day after Comptroller Peter Franchot announced a statewide ban on flavored disposable e-cigarettes that have flavors other than tobacco or menthol, a prohibition designed to close a loophole in the federal policy, which only covers flavored cartridge-based electronic smoking devices.

The Maryland Comptroller's Field Enforcement Division will be on the lookout for disposable electronic smoking products targeted toward children, such as Strawberry Hard Candy, Pineapple Lemonade, Mango Bomb, Berry Gelato, Lush Ice and O.M.G., according to a statement from the comptroller's office.

About 16.5 percent of high school students in Baltimore County Public Schools reported in a 2017 survey that they were current users of tobacco products, and 14.5 percent said they were current users of electronic smoking devices, according to the Baltimore County Health Department.