November 19th is the Great American Smokeout – the day the American Cancer Society encourages people to abstain from smoking for 24 hours.
Along with that, Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health and Bismarck State College will be hosting a “vape take back” event. It will be held at the BSC Student Union from 11 am to 1 pm that day.
"We're inviting members of the public to bring back vapes that they have in their possession, whether they're old or new — any devices that are nicotine based," said Bismarck-Burleigh tobacco prevention specialist Alex Menke. "They can be brought to the BSC student union, and exchanged for a snack."
Menke said there will be "quit kits" and alternative stress-relief materials, as well as a "prize wheel" with fun questions. And he said there will be therapy dogs available.
Menke said with vaping, it's very easy to over-do it.
"You have combustible cigarettes — when you smoke it, it's burned and done," Menke said. "But with vaping, especially with the concentration of nicotine, it can be really easy to over-do, because you can keep going until the battery runs out, or the nicotine pod is out."
Menke said unfortunately, they see a lot more consumption of nicotine when it comes to vapes, than they see with a cigarette.
Menke also said the discarded vaping devices will be properly recycled.
