Burke students blast e-cigarette manufacturers for using humans as lab rats

Fifteen students from John S. Burke Catholic High School’s Reality Check group encouraged their peers to quit e-cigarettes and stop cigarette waste at a recent rally held at Thomas Bull Memorial Dog Park.

The Oct. 12 youth demonstration was part of the 2019 Truth National Day of Action that focused on “human testing,” pointing out that no one knows the long-term effects of using e-cigarettes like Juul.

The students handed out more than 50 bandannas to pets in the park, and flagged then cleaned more than 200 cigarette butts, even in places, like the dog run, that have a no smoking sign.

“Cigarette butts are the single most littered item in the U.S. and worldwide, are not biodegradable, and are toxic to wildlife,” said Chris Zacatelco, a junior at Burke Catholic. “Parks are a place where our community members go to breathe clean air and exercise. They should not have to worry about pets or small kids playing near cigarette butts or in some cases putting them in their mouths.”

Discarded cigarettes also leach heavy metals into the soil and water and present a serious fire risk.

“Use of tobacco products, including combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes, sometimes called Juul or vapes, in parks re-establishes social norms among teens and makes it more difficult for those who are trying to quit,” said Carissa Jachcinski, the Reality Check Manager for POW’R Against Tobacco, a program of the American Lung Association. “Recently, the Surgeon General declared vaping among youth and young adults an epidemic. In New York State, 40 percent of high school seniors are currently using these products. In Orange County, 63 percent of adults surveyed are in favor of tobacco-free parks.”

Annie Dwyer, a senior at Burke Catholic, said, “Everyone had a great team work ethic. Through our combined efforts, we continue the war against the tobacco and vaping industry.”