Vaping - What You Need to Know
The rise of electronic tobacco products is growing in schools. What can principals, teachers and parents do to stop adolescent smoking?
The seemingly overnight popularity of e-cigs has left state and federal lawmakers unprepared and scrambling to enact policies to prevent kids from getting their hands on these products.
Because of its design, the e-cigarette or “e-cig”, does not meet the legal definition of a tobacco product that prevents its sale and advertisement to minors. Furthermore, the use of sweet flavors, like candy, chocolate and fruity ones, like mango and watermelon, makes it more appealing to children. Sellers are using a youth marketing strategy created by the tobacco industry to hook young users, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To add to the trouble, social media is exploding with e-cig tricks and photos, further enticing young people.
E-cig companies claim vaping is “safe and healthy.” But there has been little research done on these products to support that claim. The term vaping or “vape” came from the original invention of a version of the e-cig in the late 1970’s and was used to describe the vapor that you inhale, rather than smoke. This makes e-cigs and “vape pens” seem safe and healthy, since the user isn’t “smoking” and there is no tobacco involved.
Why Vaping is Harmful
E-cigarettes do contain nicotine, which according to the US Surgeon General, can cause addiction, developmental delays and if consumed in high quantities, death in adolescents. On average, one e-cig stick or cartridge contains the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.
The nicotine itself is suspended in liquids that contain the flavoring. These liquids have also been tested and found to contain toxins such as cancer-causing flavorings and additives.
News headlines are filled with tragic stories involving deaths and hospitalizations linked to vaping products. The New England Journal of Medicine reports autopsies show some bodies of the victims had similar respiratory system injuries to victims of chemical warfare.
Vaping by the Numbers
Vaping is not limited to high schoolers.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) found that in 2014, about 1 percent of middle school students reported smoking an e-cig. In 2018, that number soared to just over 4 percent. That means in a class of 25 middle schoolers, at least one is vaping.
In the same report, high school students had the highest reported rates of usage. In 2014, almost 8 percent reported using e-cigs but in 2018 that number more than doubled to a staggering 20 percent. That’s one out of every five high school students vaping.
What You Can Do
1. Understand the products themselves, their names, designs, and how students use them. Look for an overview for principals, teachers and parents on what to look out for in next week’s Current Events.
2. As a school you should develop policies to curb the usage of these products by your students. For example, include or add e-cigs, vape pens and associated products to non-smoking policies you may already have in your school handbook.
3. Educate parents and teachers about vaping and encourage them to have conversations with their children about the dangers of vaping and associated health risks.
