Health officials urge parents to Spot the Signs after elementary students caught vaping

FARGO, N.D. – Fargo Cass Public Health says elementary students have been caught vaping in Cass County, and are encouraging parents to learn how to spot the signs. The “Spot the Signs” campaigned launched this month to educate parents and children.

Health officials say kids are getting sneaky and can vape in the car without parents even noticing. They call it “zeroing out”, where kids hold the vapor in their lungs long enough for the scent and cloud of vape to disperse.

Fargo Cass Public Health shared the following signs that parents can keep an eye out for:

• Unexplained sweet or fruity smells
• Frequent headaches or nausea
• Moody, anxious or impulsive behavior
• Unfamiliar batteries, chargers, USB
• Discarded pods or disposable devices
• Device plugged into back of videogame console
• Vape hidden between mattress & box spring
• Declining academic or athletic performance
• Dull sense of taste, asking for spicier foods
• Out of breath
• Dizziness

The Spot the Signs campaign also educates parents and kids about spotting nicotine addiction. Your child may be addicted if:

• Can’t leave the house without vape
• Anxiety if vape isn’t nearby
• Need a hit to calm down
• Distracted by strong cravings
• Wake up at night to vape
• Headaches, jitters and crabbiness when cutting back

Fargo Cass Public Health says the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System found 1 in 3 North Dakota teens have vaped. Check out SpotTheSigns.net for more information about vaping or to get help quitting tobacco products.