Vaping has become a hot topic among youth and parents of teens over the past 10 years. Vaping has been referred to as an “epidemic” among our youth, and the number of teens who report using these products is staggering. This month we are going to address the harms of vaping. Members of the We Can Be Drug Free Coalition recognize that vaping is a huge problem among our youth and are committed to educating parents and students about the dangers of these products. We are working with local school districts, youth serving organizations, and community members to address this problem and reduce the number of youth vaping in our community.
Most people refer to e-cigarette use as vaping, however that name can be extremely deceiving. In this blog we will continue to refer to the issue at hand as “vaping”, as it is most commonly called, however we are really talking about electronic cigarette use. This means all types of e-cigarettes including but not limited to cigalikes, pod vapes, vape pens, vape mods, and mechanical mods. Youth mostly refer to these various products as “vapes”, which insinuates that the products are emitting a vapor, which is actually not true at all. The gas emitted from e-cigarettes is not actually a vapor, instead it is an aerosol, because it contains tiny particles of various chemicals and other things including but not limited to diacetyl and other flavorings, nicotine, heavy metals such as nickel tin or lead, cancer causing chemicals, and volatile organic compounds. Sound safe? E-Cigarettes or vapes have been marketed as the safer alternative to smoking cigarettes by society, however we need to recognize the fact that safer doesn’t mean safe. Also, I think it's important to mention that we do not know the long-term effects of vape usage since these products have only been popular for the last 10-12 years. With the introduction of vapes we have seen a huge decline in the amount of cigarette use among youth, however the number of youth who report using vapes has skyrocketed over the last 10 years.
E-Cigarette use is not safe for anyone, however these types of products pose a much greater risk to youth. We have talked about in some of my previous blogs how the effects of substances on the brain differ for a fully developed adult brain vs. The still developing brain of an adolescent, and this concept still applies to vaping. Youth are much more susceptible to addiction because their brains aren’t fully developed. Nicotine use among youth also changes the way that connections are made in their brains can affect the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. E-Cigarette use is only legal for adults age 21 and over in the state of Missouri. This brings up another potential harm as most youth are obtaining vapes illegally, which means they don’t really know what the vape has in it. These vapes could contain blank cartridges, nicotine, THC products, or other more dangerous substances.
Vapes come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small and can be easily hidden or disguised to look like other products such as apple watches, highlighters, USB drives, and even sweatshirt or backpack strings. Some vapes also have little smell or don’t produce enough aerosol to be seen while using. This makes these products extremely dangerous because they can be used virtually anywhere anytime. Unlike regular cigarettes where it was difficult to hide, these products are so easily accessible and user friendly that it allows the user to use more often, which can lead to a higher level of nicotine addiction. It is important to recognize that these products are extremely addictive, and if your teen is using they may need help quitting. There are lots of quitting resources available, which I will include at the bottom of this post. You may also consider seeking help from your child’s doctor or behavioral healthcare provider.
Need to know more? See the resources below to learn more about the dangers of vaping for youth, and what you can do to protect your child. Also, stay tuned for next month’s blog post. Next month we will talk about the results of our 2024 Youth Focus Group about e-cigarette use.
Protecting Youth From the Harms of Vaping | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC
Why Youth Vape | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC
E-Cigarette Use Among Youth | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC
Resources to Help Youth Reject or Quit Vaping | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC