Vaping Update

What is the most commonly used tobacco product among youth? According to recent national studies: E-cigarettes. Studies also show youth are more likely than adults to use e-cigarettes in the U.S. The most popular brand of e-cigarettes among teens is JUUL. They are so popular, teens refer to vaping as JUULing. The devices are small about the size of a USB drive, and can fit in the palm of your hand, making them easy to conceal.

FACTS:

• Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. But 66% of teens using e-cigarettes think flavoring is the only thing they’re inhaling.
• When it comes to the most highly addictive substances; nicotine ranks right up there with heroin, opioids, fentanyl, meth, and cocaine.
• Use of regular cigarettes continues to decline among teens (down to 2.4%). However, teen vaping continues to rise. In 2019, 28 percent of high school students reported using nicotine e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. — an increase of 20% from 2018.
• Vape heating coils deteriorate with use; these ultrafine particles are inhaled deep into the lungs and include metals such as nickel, tin, and lead
• Vape liquids include, flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other cancer-causing chemicals
• Vaping of marijuana has more than doubled in the past two years. Teens are using these devices to vape marijuana oil concentrate or wax (highly concentrated form of marijuana THC) with little to no marijuana scent and no smoke. As the name suggests, they produce a vapor that quickly dissipates. Yes, I can get high in the next room or just outside the door and you will never know. The THC content (the active ingredient that causes the high) in the 1960-1970s was about 2-3% THC. Today the oil or concentrate can be anywhere from 70-90% pure THC.
• Our local law enforcement agency reports that 95% of the vaping devices confiscated due to discipline in local schools – tested positive for marijuana

• Evidence is now showing that e-cigarette use is linked to alcohol and other substance use, like
• There is a rapidly growing vaping crisis highlighted by 2,807 severe lung disease and 68 deaths (February 2020) as a result of e-cigarette use. Most consumers have viewed e-cigarettes and vaping marijuana oils as harmless, but health officials are now warning the public to cease the use of e-cigarettes.  Especially vulnerable are youth who are attracted to the “cool” factor of vaping.
• According to the American Lung Association, vaping can cause a serious and irreversible lung disease known as popcorn lung. The disease causes coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, similar to the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

As a community, we can join forces to Get in the Way, To Say Something, To Do Something and have life-saving conversations with our youth about the dangers of vaping and the effects of marijuana on the young developing brain. We encourage parents and grandparents to talk to your kids and grandkids about vaping. Find a free guide on How to Talk to Your Kids About Vaping on the WOW Coalition website where you will find this and other useful information: www.wowcoalition.org/resources