Youth leader raises alarm over vaping among elementary students

Former CNMI Youth Congress floor leader Ayden Yumul urged lawmakers to act on legislation addressing vaping, telling the House of Representatives that he has heard of students as young as second and third grade being caught with vaping devices.

Speaking during public comments at the House session last Sept. 18, Yumul said vaping was one of the biggest issues the Youth Congress encountered during his three years with the body.

“We have students as young as second grade and third grade. I've heard of instances of students getting caught with vapes in Oleai Elementary School,” Yumul told lawmakers.

“You're supposed to be eating lollipops. And you're supposed to be on top of your homework when you're in elementary school. You're not supposed to be vaping. You're not supposed to have access to these vaporizers in your hands,” he added.

Yumul appeared before the House in support of House Bill 24-109, thanking Rep. Roy Ada for bringing the legislation forward and its co-sponsors for supporting it.

Later in the session, Ada formally introduced HB 24-109, describing it as a bill intended to reduce access to vaporizers and vaporable products among school-age children in the CNMI. He thanked the Youth Congress for bringing the issue to lawmakers' attention and acknowledged Yumul's public comments.

Ada asked that the measure be introduced with the committee as a whole as sponsor. With no objection, the House agreed. The bill will be referred to committee at a later time.

Earlier, Yumul described the proposal as landmark legislation from the perspective of the Youth Congress and the CNMI's manhoben, or youth, and asked lawmakers to carefully examine the measure.

Yumul compared vaping among today's youth with the rise of cigarette smoking generations ago, saying the long-term effects of vaping remain uncertain.

“And our generation, my generation now, is the guinea pigs of vaping. We don't know the effects of vaping,” Yumul said. “We don't know, even if it has similar effects to cigarettes, because a lot of people say it's healthier than cigarettes, but we really don't know that until again 20, 30 years from now.”

He said continued awareness is important while lawmakers consider the legislation.

“So the best thing we can do is keep on spreading awareness,” Yumul said.

Yumul also appealed to the Senate and governor to support the measure if it advances through the Legislature.

“If this doesn't get signed into law, and if this doesn't get passed by the legislature, our manhoben is being let down,” he said. “And I don't want to see that. And I know you guys don't want to see that too.”