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The Wellness Council’s January Awareness Campaign is encouraging everyone to get the facts about the dangers of vaping. Most of us don’t know a lot about what vaping is or what is contained in the liquid pods of e- cigarettes.
When vaping first became available, the industry aggressively promoted their product as a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. On the contrary, if we look closely, we will see that there is little that is safe about them.
The Wellness Council wants to bring to the attention of the public how much of a health risk vaping poses to young people.
• First, the FDA has never approved vaping or e-cigarettes as a safe means to stop smoking. And there is growing evidence of long-term side effects of vaping.
• While the vaping industry started by focusing on adults wanting to quit smoking, they did not keep their focus there long. They quickly began marketing in a way that clearly targeted young people.
• Adding candy, menthol, mint and fruit flavors to their products and creating vape pods disguised as things like highlighters, computer thumb drives, juice boxes and pens represent a focus on reaching young people by making the product more appealing and easier for them to hide in plain sight.
• As a result, vaping has created a health crisis for our youth.
The American Lung Association statistics indicate that 7.8% of high school students and 3.5% of middle School students admit to vaping. More females than males reported vaping, and there is some small variation in vaping statistics by race and ethnicity.
Native Americans have the highest rate and Asian students report the lowest rate. African American, Latin American, multi-racial and white students reflect similar percentages. Regardless of the breakdown in statistics, it’s important to clearly understand why vaping is dangerous.
Vaping involves using a vape pen or e-cigarette to inhale a heated liquid which usually contains nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals. E-cigarettes deliver a high quantity of nicotine at a rapid rate.
• A single pod can contain as much nicotine as smoking an entire pack of cigarettes.
• Exposure to nicotine early in life can set teens up for a lifetime of addiction, because they are more vulnerable to nicotine and its addictive properties.
•Nicotine also negatively affects the area of an adolescent’s brain that controls learning, concentration, mood and impulse.
• Coupled with the fact that adolescent brains are not fully developed until they are in their early 20’s means harmful chemicals pose a substantial health risk to their development.
• The CDC is also investigating a potential connection between nicotine overdose and seizures.
Vaping liquid also contains harmful chemicals that are damaging to the lungs. Diacetyl is a common chemical found in vaping liquid, which is known to cause “popcorn lung.”
Another chemical is formaldehyde and acrolein, which are both very toxic when heated. These chemicals inflame the lungs, cause irritation and can subject the person to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or bronchitis over time.
Some studies indicate that vaping may even damage the heart by substantially increasing heart rate and blood pressure. E-cigarettes can be a delivery mechanism for cannabis as well, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics indicate that, of middle school and high school students who claim to vape, 30% stated that they vaped with marijuana.
The various flavor options available clearly target young people and make it more likely they will try vaping and become addicted.
Parents, guardians, caregivers, educators, administrators, healthcare providers and legislators have a responsibility to ensure the safety and health of our young people when it comes to vaping products. Countries around the world have struggled with how to best address the issue.
• The U.S. FDA has taken steps to require manufacturers to submit their product for approval, but it is unclear if enough will be done to be effective, and the industry has continued to adapt to regulation.
• Some states have enacted laws that prevent the sale of devices which clearly target teens, and some have required warning labels.
• Regardless of what laws are enacted, our first line of defense must be in educating our children and teens by providing the facts about vaping. Social pressure, curiosity, a desire to rebel, enticing flavors and misinformation are just a few of the reasons why teens choose to vape.
Creating a meaningful dialogue is critical to help teens to make better choices and withstand social pressures. We must also know some of the warning signs.
It can be difficult to detect whether a teen is vaping, but there are some things that we can watch for. Changes like increased thirst, bloodshot eyes, nose bleeds, shortness of breath, dizziness, loss of taste, sleep issues, emotional changes or hyperactivity are some signs to watch for.
While any of these symptoms may point to other health issues, the potential for vaping should be considered. Statistics indicate that many teens who vape want to stop, so we need to work to provide them with the support necessary to achieve that goal and provide an environment that allows them to reach out for help.
The Wellness Council of Greater Colorado Valley is committed to improving the overall health of our citizens and hope that by providing educational material through our awareness campaigns and speakers at our monthly meetings, that we create opportunities to reduce stigmas associated with mental health issues and addictions. We also work to provide networking opportunities that connect local services and providers to those seeking assistance.
The Wellness Council meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. We meet in the Colorado County Courthouse from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the first-floor courtroom.
More information about the Wellness Council activities can be found on our Facebook page. Our website at www.wellness-GCV.org explains the history of the Wellness Council, our ongoing projects and contains a comprehensive resource directory.
