Category: CNB CRIME

Authorities Charge Delran Man with Possession of Child Pornography

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Delran Township Police Chief Alfonso A. Parente Jr. announced that a 63-year-old Delran Township man has been charged with possessing child

pornography.

Robert Tokarczyk, (photo)of the first block of Fox Chase Drive, was charged December 12 with Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree).

The investigation began earlier this year after the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding Tokarczyk’s online activities from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The investigation revealed that Tokarczyk was utilizing a search engine to locate and download child pornography. Multiple electronic devices were seized during the execution of a search warrant at his residence. An examination of the devices by detectives from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit revealed approximately 600 images of child pornography and child erotica.

Tokarczyk surrendered himself at the Prosecutor’s Office in Mount Holly. The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment. Tokarczyk will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Remy.

The investigation was conducted by the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office and the Delran Township Police Department. The lead investigator is BCPO Detective Jennifer Appelmann.

The Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit is a member of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

52 Police Officers Join Camden County Police Dept.

(Camden City, NJ) – Fifty-two new police officers joined the proud men and women of the Camden County Police Department this afternoon. After the swearing-in ceremony officers were assigned to the police administration building for additional agency training.

Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli executed the swearing-in with the police officers at Camden County College’s Camden campus and talked about their new careers.

“Many of these officers will be deployed to the streets of Camden to become part of a nationally recognized model of policing that is increasing services and safety for the region while stabilizing the city,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “Our number one priority is to keep the residents of Camden County safe. These new police officers will make a tremendous impact in our County Seat, and by doing so are making Camden County a safer place to live for all residents.”

Attorney General, DEP Commissioner Announce the Filing of Two New NRD Lawsuits

The State Filed Eight NRD Lawsuits in 2019, Twice the Number Filed in 2018

Handy & Harman Complaint

Sherwin-Williams Complaint

NRD Sites Poster

NRD Fact Sheet

TRENTON –

Continuing to hold New Jersey’s polluters accountable, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe today announced the filing of two new Natural Resource Damage (NRD) lawsuits, one against The Sherwin Williams Company and the other against Handy & Harman Electronic Materials Corp.

The complaint against Sherwin Williams arises out of the company’s operations at sites in Gibbsboro, Voorhees Township and Lindenwold in Camden County. The State alleges that Sherwin Williams manufactured oil-based paints, lacquers and varnishes, and in the process discharged industrial wastes into the ground, into nearby Hilliards Creek and into other surrounding creeks and lakes.

The complaint against Handy & Harman arises out of its operations of an etching and surfacing facility in Montvale, Bergen County in the 1980s. During Handy & Harman’s ownership, the complaint alleges, hazardous substances – including the chemical TCE (trichloroethylene) – were discharged on the property, resulting in the contamination of groundwater and the closure of nearby drinking water wells.

Today’s NRD lawsuits mark another step in Attorney General Grewal and Commissioner McCabe’s efforts to revitalize New Jersey’s environmental enforcement program. After eight years in which the State did not file any new NRD actions, the State has now filed 12 NRD actions in two years. In 2019 alone, the State filed eight such actions, including the two filed today.

“As Attorney General, I have been committed to holding polluters accountable for the legacy of contamination they left in our state,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Too many companies have treated the public’s natural resources like private dumping grounds, despite the health risks to our residents and the harms to our environment. That is why we’ve spent the past two years making polluters pay for the damage they caused, efforts that continue with today’s lawsuits. I am proud of the twelve natural resource damage actions that we filed in just two years, and I know that we are only getting started.”

“Today’s two lawsuits continue DEP’s unwavering commitment to go beyond the cleanup of contaminated sites to requiring the restoration or compensation for the damage to our precious natural resources,” said DEP Commissioner McCabe. “Enforcing our state’s laws against past abuses helps put us on track toward a cleaner, healthier future for all New Jerseyans.”

Sherwin Williams

The Sherwin Williams Company for decades operated a paint manufacturing plant and conducted related operations at multiple sites across Gibbsboro, Voorhees Township and Lindenwold. From the mid-1800s until the 1970s, Sherwin Williams and its predecessors manufactured a variety of paint products, including dry colorants, lacquers, varnishes, resins and both oil-based and water-based paints. As part of its operations, the company used and stored thousands of gallons of hazardous materials such as lead oxide, zinc oxide, lead chromate, and sulfuric acid.

According to today’s lawsuit, Sherwin Williams for many years discharged a “substantial amount of hazardous substances and industrial chemicals” into the ground and surface water. According to the complaint, the contaminants discharged include lead, arsenic and other heavy metals, as well as a variety of potentially harmful chemical compounds and waste paints. At one point in the plant’s history, the complaint notes, locals in and around Gibbsboro, Voorhees and Lindenwold rechristened Hilliards Creek as “Rainbow Creek,” because the water would take on different colors “depending on the color of the paint that Sherwin Williams was manufacturing and/or disposing of on a given day.”

The complaint alleges that Sherwin Williams spent decades knowingly contaminating the environment, and consistently “ignored orders” from DEP to address the pollution it had created. The complaint also asserts that the company “repeatedly issued misleading or inaccurate statements … to downplay its responsibility for the contamination.”

Given the company’s noncompliance with DEP orders, the complaint continues, DEP was forced to refer the sites over to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which placed two of the sites on the National Priorities List as Superfund sites decades ago. The EPA, working with DEP, is overseeing that remediation. DEP is now seeking damages for that prior pollution. The State’s seven-count complaint alleges violations of New Jersey’s Spill Act, Water Pollution Control Act, and Solid Waste Management Act, as well as common law claims involving public nuisance, trespass and negligence. As part of this filing, the State is seeking punitive damages.

Handy & Harman

From 1970 until 1986, Handy & Harman Electronic Materials Corp. and its predecessor conducted metal etching and surfacing operations at a three-acre property located at 20 Craig Road in Montvale, Bergen County. Operations included the cleaning of electrical components through a degreasing process that relied on the solvent TCE.

According to the complaint, TCE was stored in a pair of 500-gallon, above-ground storage tanks located behind the facility, with waste TCE stored in drums located throughout the property.

According to the lawsuit, “numerous” discharges of TCE occurred both inside and outside the plant during its operating years. As a result of the contamination, several drinking water wells operated by the Borough of Park Ridge were impacted, which led to these drinking wells’ closure decades ago.

In December 1986, Handy & Harman entered into an Administrative Consent Order with DEP requiring that the company investigate and remediate environmental contamination at the site. Since then, investigation and remediation activities have taken place both on the property and at impacted drinking water wells surrounding the property.

Through today’s action, DEP seeks to recover damages for the prior injuries to natural resources, as well as for the cleanup and removal costs that have been incurred by the State in the past and that are likely to be incurred going forward.

The six-count complaint alleges violations of the Spill Act, Water Pollution Control Act, and Solid Waste Management Act, and common law claims involving public nuisance, trespass and negligence. (The complaint names other defendants as well, including Steel Partners Holdings, which acquired all outstanding shares of Handy & Harman.)

Environmental Enforcement Program

Under the leadership of Attorney General Grewal and Commissioner McCabe, the State has significantly strengthened its environmental enforcement program. In particular:

The State filed 12 NRD lawsuits in the past two years, including its first such actions in a decade, and including eight in 2019 alone. The cases involved:

Exxon-Mobil, for pollution at its Lail facility in Gloucester County

The manufacturers and distributors of a toxic family of chemicals known as “PFAS” (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances); and

E.I. DuPont de Nemours, including for pollution in Pompton Lakes and at its Chambers Works site.

Filed fourteen environmental justice lawsuits, encompassing a range of urban and rural communities across New Jersey, in December 2018 and November 2019.

Filed other enforcement actions against polluters, including those responsible for:

A solid waste dump in Vernon Township, Sussex County (Feb. 2019);

A solid waste dump in Plumsted Township, Ocean County (Aug. 2019); and

Odor pollution in the Ironbound section of Newark (Sept. 2019).

Filed lawsuits against the federal government to:

Successfully prevent offshore drilling off the New Jersey coast;

Prevent the Trump Administration from rolling back critical federal rules that address climate change, clean air, and clean water; and

Ensure that the federal government takes steps required by law to reduce the ozone pollution entering New Jersey.

U.S. House members from Pennsylvania explain impeachment votes

By Dave Lemery |

The Center Square

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., speaks Dec. 18, 2019, as the House of Representatives debates the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington. House Television via AP

As the U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump, Pennsylvania\’s delegation stuck to party lines when casting their individual votes.

With the 18-member delegation split evenly between the two political parties, the state\’s nine Democrats voted in favor of the articles of impeachment and the nine Republicans voted against.

In both comments from the floor of the House and on social media, a number of lawmakers made their arguments justifying their decisions.

“It\’s with profound sadness that I stand here today in support of these articles of impeachment,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat, said during the debate. “President Trump\’s behavior is exactly what our founders feared most. They knew that with the awesome power of the presidency came the risk of a president abusing that power for personal gain. They were particularly concerned about an executive who became entangled with foreign governments, corrupted our elections, or sought to avoid consequences for his own misconduct in office.”

While Scanlon argued that the president’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was evidence of a “high crime” as defined in the U.S. Constitution, Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican, saw exactly the opposite.

“Abuse of power? Not according to the Ukraine,” Meuser said during his floor remarks. “President Zelensky confirmed many times that there was no quid pro quo, no action taken, and significant military aid was delivered without anything in return. Of course, his words have been conveniently dismissed.”

To Meuser, the impeachment effort marked a concerted effort by the Democratic Party to overturn the will of the voters at a time when Trump’s policies are bearing fruit.

“Our communities are benefiting greatly from President Trump\’s agenda – a booming economy, secure border, better trade deals, and a stronger military,” he said. “Unfortunately, inside the halls of Congress, Democrats\’ obsession with impeachment is all-consuming.”

Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat, insisted that the president’s crimes were so self-evident that there was no need to lay out a case.

“Ultimately, the matter before us today is not a question of fact, for the evidence is undisputed,” he said during House debate. “Nor is it a question of law, as the Constitution is clear. The heart of the matter is this: Will members of this House have the courage to choose fidelity to the Constitution over loyalty to their political party?”

Republican Guy Reschenthaler said the entire impeachment process was more about the 2020 election than anything that had taken place during the president’s term.

published here with permission of The Center Square

Murder Suspect John Jacobs of Millville Apprehended

John Jacobs (image courtesy of Salem Jail)

WOODBURY, NJ (Dec. 21, 2019)–Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles Fiore is pleased to announce the expedient arrest on December 20, 2019 of John Jacobs (DOB: 10/21/1992) of Millville, N.J.

Jacobs is charged with First Degree Murder, Arson, Hindering Apprehension, and Obstruction of Justice, in connection with the Murder of Sahlena Blackwell-Jacobs.

On Thursday December 19

th

, 2019, at approximately 3:30 pm, the Monroe Township Police Department was dispatched to 1920 South Black Horse Pike, Williamstown, NJ for the report of a 2002 Black Chevy Trail Blazer, registered to John Jacobs, which displayed evidence of recent fire damage. This vehicle was sought in connection with the suspected murder of

Blackwell-Jacobs.

The Monroe Township Police Department, in conjunction with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office arrived at the scene and confirmed that Blackwell-Jacobs was deceased in the vehicle.

An autopsy conducted by Gloucester County Medical Examiner, Dr. Gerald Feigin, determined that the cause of death for Ms. Blackwell-Jacobs was “blunt neck trauma” and he ruled the manner of death as a “homicide.”

An exhaustive and relentless investigation was conducted into the initial disappearance and subsequent murder of Blackwell-Jacobs, leading to the prompt identification of Jacobs and the filing of the noted charges.

Multiple law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation and efforts to apprehend Jacobs, culminating with Jacobs’ arrest by the Millville City Police Department during the evening of December 20, 2019. Efforts to locate and arrest Jacobs over several days spanned multiple jurisdictions within Gloucester, Camden, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties.

“Prosecutor Fiore extends his heartfelt appreciation to the Millville City Police Department, Atlantic and Cumberland County Prosecutors’ Offices, New Jersey State Police, US Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI, NJ Transit Police Department, and the Atlantic City, Vineland City, Franklin Township, Woodbury City and Gloucester Township Police Departments. These local/county/state/federal partners, teaming with the GCPO and Monroe Township Police Department, ensured a seamless investigation which smoothly transitioned and maintained a rapid pace across geographical and jurisdictional boundaries. This was an exemplary effort grounded in the tenacity and commitment of a wide array of professional law enforcement officers who share a common goal to serve and protect their fellow citizens. I am also extremely proud of the lead investigators in this case, Detective Brian Lloyd of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and Detective Kevin Bielski of the Monroe Township Police Department.”

Subsequent to his arrest, Jacobs was transported to the GCPO for processing, and then lodged in the Salem County Jail pending a Detention Hearing.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of his rights as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State Law.

Burlington Twp. Man Charged with Possession/Distribution of Child Pornography

BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP – Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Burlington Township Public Safety Director Bruce Painter announced that a 20-year-old township resident has been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

Alan Sylvain, of the 600 block of Francois Court, (photo) was charged with three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (two are Second Degree, one is Third Degree).

The investigation began earlier this year after the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding Sylvain’s online activities from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The investigation revealed that Sylvain had transferred child pornography files utilizing an online chatting platform. Sylvain lived in Palmyra at the time the crimes were committed.

He was taken into custody on December 13 following the execution of a search warrant at his residence. Investigators seized electronic devices during the search.

The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment. Sylvain will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Remy.

The investigation was conducted by the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office and the Burlington Township Police Department. The lead investigator is BCPO Detective Kevin Sobotka.

The Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit is a member of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Authorities Seeking Help with Williamstown Death Investigation

WILLIAMSTOWN, NJ (Dec. 20, 2019)–The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office is actively conducting an investigation in the Williamstown section of Monroe Township.

On Thursday December 19

th

, 2019, at approximately 3:30 pm, the Monroe Township Police Department was dispatched to 1920 South Black Horse Pike, Williamstown, NJ for the report of an abandoned vehicle which was potentially on fire.

The description of the vehicle was consistent with a vehicle being sought in connection with an ongoing Missing/Endangered Person investigation regarding the wellbeing of Sicklerville resident Sahlena Blackwell-Jacobs (DOB: 11/03/1997).

The Monroe Township Police Department, in conjunction with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office arrived at the scene.

Upon arrival, responding officers discovered Blackwell-Jacobs deceased in the vehicle.

An investigation is ongoing by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes and Crime Scene Units, in close coordination with the Monroe Township Police Department and other law enforcement partners. At this time, the circumstances surrounding the death of Blackwell-Jacobs are deemed suspicious in nature.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office encourages any potential witnesses with information regarding the death, activities or travels of Sahlena Blackwell-Jacobs to contact Det. Brian Lloyd of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-221-4849 or Det. Kevin Bielski of the Monroe Township Police Department at 856-728-9800 Ext 516.

Information can also be e-mailed to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us.

Voorhees PD Seeking Help with Potential Luring Incident

VOORHEES TOWNSHIP,NJ –December 20, 2019, at approximately 1:46pm, a 12 year old juvenile female reported that she was chased in the parking lot of 282 Echelon Road in Voorhees. She

reported that a heavy set male, unknown race, wearing a black winter style mask, green jacket and blue pants exited a white work van and chased her through the parking lot about 100 yards.

She then said the male stopped running and went back to the van and left the area. There are no witnesses and no vehicle license plate information at this time.

If anyone has any information regarding this case, please contact the Voorhees Police Department at (856) 428-5400 or email Lt. RJ Hamburg at rhamburg@VTPD.com.

Please remember to pay attention to your surroundings, use caution when traveling alone and keep your cellphone and anything else that could be considered a distraction in your pocket while walking.

Address/Location

Voorhees Township Police Department

1180 White Horse Road

Voorhees Township, NJ 08043

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-428-5400

Multi-Alarm Fire in Sicklerville, One Fatality

SICKLERVILLE NJ—Thursday December 19, 2019 at approximately 2:17 PM, officers responded to a residence on the 600 block of Jarvis Road in the Sicklerville section of Gloucester Township for a fire.   Upon arrival of officers, they observed heavy smoke and fire coming  from the residence.  One of the residents was located outside the residence suffering from burns.

Fire and EMS units from Gloucester Township, Pine Hill, Winslow, Lindenwold, Camden County OEM and Cherry Hill Rehab were on location and assisted with extinguishing the fire.

One (1) fatality was reported.  A 27 year old male was transported to a local hospital for treatment for burns.

The incident is currently under investigation by the Gloucester Township Police Department Investigations Bureau, Camden County Prosecutors Office, Camden County Fire Marshal and the New Jersey State Division of Fire Service.

Two (2) families were displaced from the residence which is a duplex style home and received assistance from the American Red Cross and Gloucester Township OEM.

Vaping of marijuana on the rise among teens

NIH’s 2019 Monitoring the Future survey finds continuing declines in prescription opioid misuse, tobacco cigarettes, and alcohol.

Findings from the 2019 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey demonstrate the appeal of vaping to teens, as seen in the increased prevalence of marijuana use as well as nicotine vaping.

Results from the 45th annual MTF survey, a nationally representative sample of eighth, 10th and 12th graders in hundreds of U.S. schools, were announced today by the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, along with the University of Michigan scientist who leads the research team. The self-report survey is given annually to students who respond to questions about their drug use and attitudes.

Past year vaping of marijuana, which has more than doubled in the past two years, was reported at 20.8% among 12th graders, with 10th graders not far behind at 19.4% and eighth graders at 7.0%. Past month marijuana vaping among 12th graders nearly doubled in a single year to 14% from 7.5%–the second largest one-year jump ever tracked for any substance in the history of the survey. (The largest was from 2017-2018 with past month nicotine vaping among 12th graders).  For the first time, the survey measured daily marijuana vaping, which was reported at 3.5%  among 12th graders, 3.0% among 10th graders, and 0.8% among eighth graders. The MTF investigators documented more detailed findings on teen vaping of marijuana in a

research letter

released today in the

Journal of the American Medical Association.

High rates of nicotine vaping reported in the MTF survey were

released

in September.

Marijuana continues to be the most commonly used illicit drug by adolescents. After remaining mostly stable for many years, daily use of marijuana went up significantly since 2018 among eighth and 10th graders–now at 1.3% and 4.8% respectively. However, overall past year marijuana use rates remain steady among teens (35.7% among 12th graders; 28.8% among 10th graders; and 11.8% among eighth graders).

Past year rates of any illicit drug use, other than marijuana, remain relatively low among 12th graders; past year use was 3.6% for LSD; 3.3% for synthetic cannabinoids; 2.2% for both cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy); and 0.4% for heroin. Other drug use, including the misuse of prescription medicines and the use of alcohol as well as tobacco cigarettes, continues to decline.

“We are heartened to see the continuing decline in the use of many drugs, particularly non-medical use of prescription opioids; however, teens are clearly attracted to vaping products, which are often concentrated amounts of drugs disguised as electronic gadgets,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow. “Their growing popularity threatens to undo years of progress protecting the health of adolescents in the U.S.”

Other highlights

Prescription Drugs

Past year rates of misuse of the opioid pain reliever Oxycontin dropped significantly among 12th graders over the past five years, with only 1.7% reporting in 2019–the lowest level of use since it was first measured in 2002 (at 4.0%).

Past year rates of misuse of the opioid pain reliever Vicodin is now at 1.1% for both 12th graders and 10th graders. For 12th graders, it is a significant drop from 2018 and the lowest rate since it was first measured in 2002 (at 9.6%). These rates represent a significant five-year decline in these two grades.

Past year misuse of the ADHD medication Adderall saw a significant decline over the past five years among 10th and 12th graders–from 4.6% to 3.1% for 10th graders and from 6.8% to 3.9%, for 12th graders. However, there was a significant increase among eighth graders — now reported to be 2.5%, up from 1.3% in 2014.

Tobacco Products

Use of regular cigarettes continues to decline among teens, especially among 12th graders who had a significant decline in past month use, now at 5.7%, down from 7.6% last year and 13.6% five years ago.

In 2019, 2.4% of 12

th

graders said they smoked cigarettes daily, a significant decline from 3.6% in 2018. However, 11.7% said they vaped nicotine daily in 2019, the first year daily vaping use has been measured.

One in 4 12th graders say they vaped nicotine in the past month, along with 1 in 5 10th graders, and nearly 1 in 10 eighth graders.

Many teens say they vape for the flavor, to experiment, for social reasons, or to feel good. However, from 2018-2019, the number of 12th graders saying they vape because they are “hooked” more than doubled to 8.1%, up from 3.6%. It is important to note that not all teens know what is in the products they are vaping.

Alcohol

Alcohol use (past year) saw a significant five-year drop among 10th and 12th graders in 2019, now at 37.7% and 52.1%.

There was also a five-year decrease in binge drinking in the 10th and 12th grades. The survey reports that 14.4% of 12th graders said they binge drank in 2019 compared to 19.4% in 2014. Among 10th graders, 8.5% reported binge drinking compared to 12.6% five years ago. Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks.

To highlight the MTF survey findings, NIDA will post two

infographics

on its website: one related to vaping and the other on several other drug categories.

The survey, conducted since 1975, is funded by a government grant to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and is the only comprehensive, large-scale federal government survey on teen drug use that releases findings the same year the data is collected. In 2019, questions were added on daily vaping to address public health concerns about e-cigarettes and vaping devices. This year, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have warned the public about lung illnesses and deaths related to vaping, with some patients as young as 13. The CDC posts periodic

updates and recommendations

for the public.

The MTF investigators have published several papers and research letters related to these findings:

Trends in Adolescent Vaping, 2017–2019

,

The

New England Journal of Medicine,

Sept. 18, 2019 (online).

NIDA Press Release

:

Teen e-cigarette use doubles since 2017

Flavors of e-Cigarettes Used by Youths in the United States

, Journal

of the American Medical Association

, Nov. 5, 2019.

NIDA Science Spotlight

:

NIH-funded study finds teens prefer mint and mango vaping flavors

Trends in Reported Marijuana Vaping among U.S. Adolescents

, 2017-2019,

Journal of the American Medical Association

, Dec. 18, 2019.

Overall, 42,531 students from 396 public and private schools participated in this year\’s MTF survey. The survey has generally been administered to students in paper form, but investigators have been transitioning to electronic tablets. The survey will be fully electronic by 2020. The survey measures drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes in eighth, 10th and 12th graders nationwide. Survey participants generally report their drug use behaviors across multiple time periods: lifetime, past year, past month, and in some cases, daily. NIDA has provided grant funding for the survey since its inception. MTF is funded under grant number DA001411.

Follow Monitoring the Future 2019 news on Twitter at @NIDANews or join the conversation by using: #MTF2019. Information on all drugs can be found on

NIDA\’s website

.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found at

https://www.drugabuse.gov

, which is compatible with your smartphone, iPad or tablet. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA’s DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or email requests to

drugpubs@nida.nih.gov

. Online ordering is available at

https://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov

. NIDA’s media guide can be found at

https://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide

, and its easy-to-read website can be found at

htt

ps://www.easyread.drugabuse.gov

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

NIH, the nation\’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit

www.nih.gov

.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health

®