PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Multiple law enforcement agencies are tackling a recent uptick in underage vaping in Paulding County.

The sheriff’s office says they have partnered with the Northwest Drug Task Force to put together “Operation Clean Air,” an effort to “combat the illicit sale of vape to minors.” Over two months, seven arrests have been made as agents continue to go after stores and service stations in the county.

According to the sheriff’s office, the operation’s creation is a result of school authorities reporting record numbers of vapes being recovered from students. The sheriff’s office says agents have “confiscated hundreds of vapes from children as young as 5 years and as old as 20 years.”

“The dangers of vaping are true and established. The health professionals from the CDC advise that the electronic cigarette aerosol is not harmless water vapor,” the sheriff’s office said. “It can contain harmful and potentially harmful ingredients like nicotine, heavy metals such as lead, volatile organic compounds and carcinogens.”

Even with efforts to address the issue with education and enforcement, the sheriff’s office says they “can’t do it alone.”

“We’re asking parents to sit down with their children and have an open discussion with them regarding the health hazards of vaping that are life-changing,” Sheriff Ashley Henson said. “Parental intervention and public awareness are the solutions to the success of ‘Operation Clean Air’ and the well-being of our youth in the coming years.”

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