Students, prevention group urge stronger enforcement and youth supports to curb vaping in Egg Harbor Township

Scores of students and a local prevention agency told the Egg Harbor Township Committee that youth vaping has surged in schools and neighborhoods and urged the township to use local tools to enforce the state's flavor ban and expand prevention and treatment supports.

"Public health campaigns had been very effective in reducing cigarette use among teens for decades, and our generation was on track to be the first generation to stop tobacco use entirely," said Mita Choudhury, a junior from Egg Harbor Township High School, during the public-comment section. She and other students described vaping'related disruptions to school instruction and social life and said products are being marketed in flavors and packaging that appeal to young people.

Speakers cited the 2021 New Jersey Student Health Survey, saying it found nearly 22 percent of high school students reported using electronic vapor products in the previous 30 days. Students told the committee that bathrooms and hallways have become frequent vaping spots, that disciplinary suspensions do not address addiction, and that anonymous and low-barrier counseling would be more effective than punishment alone.

Atlantic Prevention Resources staff reported an on-the-ground merchant assessment of 25 local retailers and said about 40 percent were selling products that violate New Jersey's flavor law. The group outlined the federal enforcement process and penalties it has observed: an FDA warning letter followed by civil fines that the speaker described as modest ($650 for a second offense and about $2,000 for a third, according to the presentation). The agency recommended local merchant education, periodic compliance checks and consideration of a municipal licensing or inspection fee to fund enforcement.

Students and prevention staff pressed the committee for a mix of actions: local inspections of retailers, school partnerships for prevention messaging, funding for youth-led campaigns and free, accessible treatment or counseling resources. Several students suggested programs to incentivize counselors to enter substance-use treatment and recommended anonymous online supports.

Mayor Frommer and committee members said the township would share sample local ordinances and licensing ideas and that staff could coordinate with the students and Atlantic Prevention Resources on next steps. The municipal police chief said the department would follow up on a list of merchants provided by the prevention group and pursue enforcement where merchants sold clearly illegal products.

The students closed by offering to work with township officials and legislators.

Ending: The committee did not vote on new ordinance language at the meeting; members agreed to follow up with sample ordinances, merchant outreach and discussions with the school district and state legislators about enforcement and prevention funding.