What started off with good intentions has turned into a major problem.
E-cigarettes were first introduced to the market in the United States in 2007 as a way to help cigarette smokers kick the habit in the “butt.” In 2013, their popularity began to grow amongst the non-smoking population for recreational use. Only four years later, according to the Child Mind Institute, e-cigarettes had become the most frequently used form of tobacco among adolescents — with reportedly some 2.1 million middle and high school students using e-cigarettes in 2017, — far surpassing traditional combustible cigarettes and bringing in $1.7 billion in revenue. And even though new federal laws will soon require people to be 21 to buy these products, that doesn’t seem to be slowing teens down.
With all the terminology out there, it may be a bit confusing – Juuling, vaping, e-cigarettes…what’s the difference?
E-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes, are also known as e-vaporizers (vapes, vaping). Vaping is defined as the act of inhaling and exhaling what is believed to be water vapor, but is actually an aerosol, which contains small toxic particles. There is no tobacco smoke produced from the e-cigarette, but the aerosols have also been linked to cancer as well as respiratory and heart disease.
JUUL is the newest brand of vaporizers/e-cigarette and is the most popular with teens. The reason? It’s small and easy to conceal – the pods as small as a USB flash drive. It fits in the palm of your hand or in a pocket very easily. Addiction Treatment Counselor, Katie Talbot, who works with Community and Family Resources in Wright County, said a big part of the lure of vaping is how discreet it is. They work by heating up a cartridge that contains oils and that makes the vapors to be inhaled.
In the past, another part of the appeal of Juuls is the tempting flavors they and other companies offered, including gummy bears, cotton candy, strawberry/blueberry/raspberry, mint (one of the most popular) pink punch lemonade, blue Slushie, Dr. Pepper, mango, fruit medley… and the list goes on. As of just last week a nationwide ban on many flavored e-cigarette products went into effect. An NBC News article pointed out though that while Juul banned most flavors, some types of vaping devices are not included in the flavor ban. Talbot adds too that if people really wanted, they could still easily order flavored vapes online from overseas, which opens up more potential problems.
What’s hiding in these flavored pods, however, are 10 – 15 known carcinogens – like anti-freeze. The other thing teens don’t seem to realize is each pod contains a high dose of highly addictive nicotine. Talbot confirmed that nicotine is more addictive that heroine. One vape pod contains 200 “puffs,” the equivalent of one full pack of cigarettes. If a person uses one pod a week for five weeks, that’s like smoking 100 cigarettes. According to Talbot, “The perception of vaping is that it is safer than cigarettes, and big tobacco is purposely marketing them that way to kids. But that is just not true. Everyday, we hear more about the damage vaping can do.”
According to the Center on Addiction, a growing body of evidence indicates that vaping products may be dangerous. Talbot cited the Iowa Department of Health’s stats tracking lung damage related to vaping in teens in the state. As of just last month, they reported 56 cases of lung damage. The vast majority of those involved teens using vape devices equipped with liquid marijuana. Talbot noted that this is a very common use of vapes. She even reported knowing of cases where people used the devices for methamphetamine consumption. In short, vaping and the slippery slope it can create is a major concern, especially in teens.
To read more about vaping and the steps area schools are taking to curb the problem, check out the continuation of this story in next week’s Monitor.
