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Will Slotnick of Wellness Collaborative, an organization dedicated to promoting health and preventing addiction, returned to campus last week to speak with Upper School students about the topic.

Slotnick also hosted small group discussions about nicotine addiction and vaping with e-ciggerates.

“Critics have long contended that the flavored liquids for the devices are luring adolescents to the habit, at a time when nicotine is especially hazardous for their brain development,” The New York Times recently reported.

For his part, Sujay Jain ’20 said that the discussion gave him “insight on healthy and effective ways to deal with stress.”

Michael Hastings ’18 said that Slotnick’s approach is more effective than a typical lecture, simply telling students not to take drugs. Slotnick focused on education and information, leaving it to students to decide their own actions.

“Will was an addict and has been clean for 33 years,” Hastings said. “But his different approach really engaged our grade and it taught us to really care about this serious problem.”

Last year, in a podcast with The Gator, Slotnick said, “Everyone, particularly in adolescence, is struggling with something. Find people you trust to share that with so that you’re not alone with it.”

– Podcast by Caiti Cullen ’19