LOUISVILLE, Ky.- A day after a statewide campaign warning young people about the dangers of vaping and e-cigarettes, the Jefferson County Public School District announced it's new anti-vaping campaign, Vaping Equals.

1. Vaping Equals

Vaping Equals is an intentionally incomplete sentence. “Vaping equals smoking 20 cigarettes worth of addictive nicotine in one refillable Juul pod,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio. “Vaping equals devices that may explode while in use. Vaping equals known and unknown health effects.  And while many teens believe that vaping is a safe habit, electronic cigarettes contain nicotine and chemicals and are just as addictive as traditional ones.” JCPS wants students to ask themselves what vaping equals. 

2. Campaign Details

As part of this district-wide plan, students will complete health lessons that look at the consequences of vaping, understand how companies in the vaping and e-cigarette industry are targeting young people and give them help with dealing with peer pressure. Informational posters about vaping are also going up in middle and high schools.  

3. New Website

JCPS launched a new website www.vapingequals.com to help spread information to schools, students and parents.  Parents can find more information on the most common terms kids are using, what the devices look like and more details about the addictive properties of e-cigarettes.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and other community members spoke at the news conference and encouraged families to take active roles in preventing teens for vaping. The 2016 Surgeon General's report showed that e-cigarette use among high school students jumped 900 percent from 2011 to 2015.