The Washington State Department of Health sent me a couple of pieces of information to pass along to our school leaders across the state. Unfortunately, many of you middle-level and high school leaders might already be aware of these.

The first update is about heated tobacco products, often called “Heat not Burn” tobacco.

What is that? Here’s some information from the CDC’s page. Read the whole thing to learn more and find out how they’re different than e-cigarettes.

• Sometimes marketed as “heat-not-burn” products, heated tobacco products come in many forms.
• Some heated tobacco products use electronic heating elements.
  • Some heat specially-designed sticks, plugs, or capsules containing tobacco. This is how the electronically heated tobacco product authorized for sale in the United States works.
  • Some work by heating liquids that create an emission that then passes through a tobacco plug to absorb flavor and nicotine from the tobacco.
  • Some have a sealed part of the device that heats loose tobacco, either alone or together with flowers from the marijuana (cannabis) plant.
  • Some are used with flavorings.
  • Some allow users to control factors such as the temperature.
• Some heated tobacco products have a similar size and shape as regular cigarettes and have a carbon tip wrapped in glass fibers that the user heats with a lighter or match. Federal law allows this type of product to be sold in the United States.

The next update is about a vape product called a "highlighter" that looks like...you guessed it...a highlighter.

We are working to arrange a meeting with DOH and PAVe (Parents Against Vaping and e-cigs). We will continue to relay to legislators/policymakers our concerns about student vaping from a health standpoint and the disruption it causes schools.