I went to the Hidden in Plain Sight presentation to understand how to support my kids as they grow up and face decisions about vaping and substance use. We started with a tour of the mock bedroom to recognize warning signs of substance use, mental health struggles, and trafficking. One particular item was a highlighter pen the speaker helped up to uncover a hidden compartment for a vaping device when you unscrewed the bottom.

“Did you get that online?" I asked. I assumed somebody was reaching kids through an unmonitored website. “This? No, I got this at...”, the speaker had shared the name of a store I visit frequently with my kids.

I was already trying to comprehend the speaker’s story about having her 11-year-old buy 30 vape pens online to see how easy it was. Her daughter didn’t have a problem. I began to realize there are no barriers to getting supplies and stores in our neighborhood have extremely effective ways of hiding them.

After touring the mock bedroom, we sat down to listen to the presenter share more information on rates of use, risk factors, and how adults can help kids make good choices and support them when they make mistakes. The presentation was loaded with shocking but helpful information. It was an important reminder of the importance of relationships and communication between kids and trusted adults. It also revealed that many of us thought there were more policies to discourage or hinder access to vape products when much more action still needs to be taken. We also discussed why kids choose to vape and why it can be so hard to quit.

SRHD hosts Hidden in Plain Sight events for the public multiple times every year, and we want to thank Jennifer Dorsett for leading us through this interactive event and presentation! To find out when the next one will be, check SRHD’s calendar, or sign up for The Public Health Minute newsletter. You can also find more information about commercial tobacco, vaping, and youth cannabis prevention on SRHD’s program page.