Freshmen in teacher Haley Wolf’s Health classes will gather in the library on Wednesday, Nov. 11 and Wednesday, Nov. 18. There, they will listen to a presentation about the statistics and dangers of Juul and tobacco use.

This is the second year that the Juul and Tobacco presentation has been made at Hays High for freshmen. It is run by Smoky Hill Foundation for Chemical Dependency, Inc., which was established in 1979 as a non-profit organization “for the prevention, intervention and treatment of substance abuse.”

Some topics at the presentation will be the dangers and side effects of tobacco use, as well as the newly emphasized necessity of respiratory strength. Many things have been changed and brought to the public’s attention because of the current pandemic, with overall health and wellness being one such example. Smoking of any kind can leave users more at risk for respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

However, some of the COVID-19 protocols have actually been thought to reduce Juul and tobacco use.

“We do have fewer cases this year, but I think that’s a lot to do with our masks,” assistant principal Fred Winter said.

Another discussion topic to be covered is the amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act made on Dec. 20, 2019. The amendment states that the minimum age a person has to be to buy tobacco has increased to 21, three years older than previously.

“[Juul and tobacco use] is something that we just want to constantly hit on and educate kids about, but I think it’s always a problem, no matter how many or how few [students are doing it],” Winter said.