Whereas e-cigarette use in teenagers has gone down in recent times, teenagers are nonetheless vaping regardless of nationwide insurance policies aimed toward decreasing nicotine vaping amongst adolescents.
The most recent knowledge from 2024 reveals the proportion of teenagers who reported they’d ever vaped nicotine recurrently was:
- 9.6% for eighth grade college students (up from 4.7% in 2022),
- 15.4% for tenth grade college students (up from 8.7% in 2022), and
- 21% of twelfth grade college students (up from 15% in 2022).
Nicotine vaping is without doubt one of the most ceaselessly abused substances in these grades.
What’s extra, the Journal of the American Medical Affiliation discovered that vaping in teenagers is linked to a better threat for beginning cigarette smoking and use, particularly in youths who’ve low risk-taking behaviors. Vaping could be a means for some adults to give up smoking, however for teenagers, it’s a strategy to begin.
Chances are high excessive that teenagers in the present day have been uncovered to e-cigarettes, considered utilizing them, or have used them. So, what can mother and father do to scale back the possibilities that their teenagers will flip to vaping?
As a pharmacist within the Drug and Poison Data Heart, I counsel studying the whole lot you may about e-cigarettes after which having an sincere dialog along with your teen concerning the dangers. Beneath are some info to get you began.
8 Info About Nicotine, E-Cigarettes and E-Liquids
FACT #1: E-CIGARETTES CONTAIN HARMFUL CHEMICALS
In line with smokefree.gov, e-cigarettes often include nicotine. This chemical has been proven to hurt mind improvement not solely in youngsters, but in addition in younger adults into their early 20s.
E-cigarettes may also include different harmful substances, together with heavy metals like lead, cancer-causing chemical substances, and small particles that get inhaled deep into the lungs.
FACT #2: Nicotine is very addictive
Nicotine is without doubt one of the most addictive substances and is extremely tough to cease utilizing. Dependence relies on elements similar to age, household or peer affect, genetics, medical historical past and extra.
The teenager mind is very inclined to the unfavorable and addictive results of nicotine, and the long-term results of e-liquids should not clear.
FACT #3: Nicotine in e-liquids can have an effect on the mind and coronary heart
Nicotine is a neurotoxic substance. Which means it may have an effect on the mind in a unfavorable means and trigger unintended effects.
E-liquids are available in a wide range of nicotine concentrations. Taking in even small quantities of nicotine has the potential to be deadly to a small youngster. Liquid nicotine will also be absorbed by the pores and skin. If a spill occurs when refilling the e-cigarette, it has the potential to be very harmful.
When liquid nicotine is by accident ingested, it may trigger vomiting and seizures. It can also have an effect on the guts.
FACT #4: DESPITE LAWS, E-CIGARETTES CAN STILL BE EASY TO GET
In 2019, the Tobacco 21 legislation went into impact. This legislation restricts the sale of tobacco merchandise in the US to these over 21 solely. This contains vapes.
Nonetheless, on-line and in-person shops could not all the time ask for identification, and on-line sellers of vaping units could not test a buyer’s age on the time of sale.
FACT #5: E-cigarettes are available in shiny colours and flavors
The intense colours, flavors and smells of e-liquids may be interesting to each teenagers and young children, making them appear innocent. If younger youngsters are within the dwelling, maintain e-cigarettes out of their attain. Many containers should not child-resistant.
In early 2020, the FDA restricted flavors in reusable e-cigarettes to only menthol and tobacco. However the taste limits don’t apply to disposable e-cigarettes, that are nonetheless available on the market in the present day.
FACT #6: Nicotine supply may be discreet
It’s laborious to inform when somebody is utilizing an e-cigarette, as a result of they gained’t scent like tobacco. Vapes may also appear like a pen, key fob or flash drives. A more recent product available on the market is a vape pen that appears like a highlighter.
One other discreet nicotine product is oral nicotine pouches. These small, rectangular packets are positioned between the lip and gum, usually beneath the higher lip. Because the pouches dissolve, nicotine is launched from them into the bloodstream by the mouth. They’re accessible in a wide range of flavors which will attraction to youth. Like e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches can include excessive ranges of nicotine.
FACT #7: E-cigarettes are BEING USED TO VAPE THC
Many younger folks additionally use vaping units to devour hashish merchandise. In 2024, almost 17.6% of twelfth graders reported that they vaped marijuana previously 12 months. (That is down from 20% in 2022.)
(Supply: Monitoring the Future, NIH)
FACT #8: SEVERE LUNG INJURIES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH E-CIGARETTE USE
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention reported in February 2020 that greater than 2,800 folks have acquired an acute lung harm or died associated to using e-cigarettes. Learn this weblog submit for extra details about vaping and its affect on teenagers’ lungs.
When you’ve got any issues about your youngster being uncovered to nicotine or another dangerous substance, please name the Drug and Poison Data Heart at 1-800-222-1222. We will study extra about your youngster and the state of affairs, and stroll you thru what to do subsequent.
Concerning the creator: Sheila Goertemoeller, PharmD, D.ABAT
Sheila Goertemoeller, PharmD, DABAT, ICPS, is a pharmacist and medical toxicologist. She has greater than 20 years of expertise on the Drug and Poison Data Heart Hotline at Cincinnati Kids’s.
