Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
At the request of Crook County Prevention Specialist Katie Allen, signage within the ballparks and municipal park spaces in Sundance will soon be getting an update. The current signs, she told the council last week, are a little behind the times.
“They are older and…purely say drug free zone and no smoking,” Allen explained. “However, the world is changing and so are the products that the kids are working with.”
Allen was specifically referring to vape pens and e-cigarettes, which have long been touted as an alternative to smoking and an aid to give up cigarettes, but which have also become popular with younger people. She informed the council that use of such devices increased by 1000% in high-schoolers during 2019-2020 and 25% of students in Wyoming believe there is no risk associated with using them.
However, according to the Mayo Clinic, vaping devices and e-cigarettes are not considered safe for teens and young adults because their brains are still developing. Exposing a developing brain to addictive drugs like nicotine can potentially lead to permanent alterations in brain chemistry and may make the brain more vulnerable to other forms of addiction in the future.
Allen pointed out that these devices also have an effect on the local environment, as it’s not uncommon for people to dispose of their e-cigarette cartridges by throwing them on the ground.
“There’s no good way to dispose of these,” she said. “People aren’t really sure what to do with them.”
Allen stated that she has funds available within her own budget to purchase new signs for communities throughout the county, and asked for permission to do so. Mayor Paul Brooks responded that he believes a resolution already exists to permit the signs and agreed that the idea of the city having things such as a pool and public parks in the first place is to keep the kids occupied and safe.
The council agreed to investigate whether a resolution already exists. If not, the matter will be placed on the agenda for next month’s regular meeting.
