Aurora educator urges limits on youth-targeted vaping marketing near schools

Aretha, dean of students for Aurora Public Schools and an Aurora resident, told the Aurora City Council during public comment that youth-targeted marketing and local retailers are contributing to rising vaping incidents on school grounds.

She said the devices are “small, they're easy to conceal, they're marketed in ways that appeal directly to my students, and they're a constant battle on our school grounds.” The incidents, she said, are affecting school discipline and learning time.

The concern, she said, is not only experimention but addiction: “Kids who would never consider smoking a cigarette or experimenting with these flavored vapes because ads in social media frame vaping as trendy and it's harmless. These youth centered ads are making vaping feel less dangerous and it's habit forming.”

Aretha said punitive measures in schools have not solved the problem and urged a combined approach of accountability and support: “Punitive measures are not working. It's not addressing a problem of substance abuse. It's not addressing experimentation and it's not addressing addiction. As a parent and an educator, I'm advocating for approaches that combine accountability with support.”

She asked the council for partnerships between schools and city agencies, more tobacco- and vape-awareness education in school curricula, and accessible resources to help students who want to quit. She also asked for restrictions on how and where tobacco and vaping products are marketed and for limits on advertising exposure near schools, and told the council that marketing intensity is higher in Aurora’s Northeast and Northwest quadrants.

The remarks were made during the public comment period; the provided transcript does not record any council response or a proposed ordinance or formal action on the matter.