Dr. Andrew Clair is a well-known face among students in the Shoreham-Wading River School District as a basketball and soccer coach and one of the soccer coaches at Albert G. Prodell Middle School. On Jan. 9, he conducted two high school presentations regarding the dangers of vaping and electronic cigarette use.

Dr. Clair was introduced by Shoreham-Wading River High School Assistant Principal John Holownia as a graduate of St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions with a Ph.D. in pharmacology. Dr. Clair worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 37 years, 24 years at Pfizer, and was an adjunct professor at both St. John’s University and Temple University during his career.

He started his program with a thought-provoking quote by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling: “Science is the search for the truth – it is not a game in which one tries to beat his opponent, to do harm to others.”

He iterated that his presentation was not based on innuendo but scientific fact. His educational slideshow and clips of television news stories showcased a history of cigarette smoking risks, the comparisons and effects of vaping compared to smoking tobacco cigarettes, statistics fatalities and highlights of several people who unsuccessfully turned to vaping to try to quit cigarette smoking.

Dr. Clair, who has written extensively on scientific matters, noted that the students asked numerous questions regarding his talk and was pleased to be able to help them make healthy and informed decisions on vaping use.

Date Added: 1/10/2024