Winter Wellness at Hebron and While at Home for the Holidays

At Hebron Academy, we support student wellness:  mind, body, and spirit.   We are aware of the continued trend of teens using electronic nicotine devices (ENDS) also known as vapes, vape-pens, Juuls, and electronic cigarettes or "e-cigs".  99% of these products contain nicotine, which is highly addictive for teens.  Disposable varieties are most popular because fruit and candy-flavored e-juice is still legal with disposable devices.  Middle and high schoolers may try vaping recreationally and then quickly begin to depend on these products for self-medication (to cope with anxiety, depression, loneliness, and low self-esteem).   

We are addressing these concerns by providing Health and Wellness Education classes for 6-9th graders,  wellness programming for older students, and individual wellness coaching through our counseling center.  Hebron prioritizes a healthy school culture  that works to prevent the use of ENDS by providing support and structure for their overall well-being. We offer engaging and experiential classes (even outdoor skills classes for all middle schoolers), two half-days are reserved for our very popular ski program at Sunday River, we provide a daily exercise block through after school activities, enforced study hall hours, and tech turn-in for all of our younger boarding students.  While students are home on vacation, we wanted to empower parents with awareness of student nicotine use and the associated health risks. Our counseling team is available to provide confidential parent consultation if you are concerned about your child's use of nicotine or other substances,  or if you want to partner with us to support any other aspect of their child's emotional well-being. Please feel free to reach out to Amanda Miller, Director of Mental Health and Wellness at amiller@hebronacademy.org

Here are some quick facts and health risks: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html . 

Here are additional resources to support parents and educators: https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/public-health-education/tobacco-education-resources-parents-and-teachers