Vaping, the action or practice of inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device carries known risks. For a comprehensive understanding of the general risks associated with vaping, please visit the CDC’s website here. Vaping is highly addictive. This is infuriating, the fact that this industry can target kids with flavors that include gummy bear, strawberry, cola, fruit, cinnamon, popcorn and more. Moreover, despite arguments from e-cigarette manufacturers claiming superiority over cigarettes, such assertions are misleading. Kids who ordinarily would not smoke have decided that vaping is in a completely different category and therefore acceptable as opposed to the stigma of cigarettes. In addition, these same kids find vaping easier to hide than cigarettes. Studies are now indicating that when a child or young adult initiates vaping, they are more likely to transition to smoking cigarettes eventually. Ignore the hype.
What is in Cartridge?
For nicotine vapes, one pod is equal to one pack of cigarettes. A vape pen uses a battery to heat up liquid into an aerosol. The cartridge contains nicotine, propylene glycol and chemicals to make the aerosol taste good. In one study, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde (known carcinogens) are in many e-cigarette products. Acetaldehyde is a known cancer-causing agent. Vaping has not been around long enough for detailed and long-term studies. Experts suspect we will see a possible increase in throat cancers and “adverse effects on head, neck, and oral cells.” I did my own unofficial search on Reddit and the number of young adults under the age of 25 that are contracting tongue and throat cancers is very scary. Is there a correlation?
Marijuana Vapes
You find a vape in your child’s room. That doesn’t mean it’s just nicotine. Vapes are used to smoke marijuana and it’s not Gen X marijuana. This concentrated marijuana has extraordinarily high levels of THC, almost four times higher than usual. According to the sources, the highly concentrated form of marijuana results in a more psychological and physically intense effect. Vaping harms young adults because their brains are not fully developed. The toxic substances in the cartridges link to cell and DNA damage.
Gastric Issues
Has your child had extreme gastric issues? Doctors are finding health risks of marijuana vaping on our gastrointestinal systems. If they are showing signs of reflux, vomiting or stomach pain then their marijuana vape could be the source. The NIH has done a detailed study on the impact that cannabis is having on our gastric systems. “Cannabis exerts its effects on gastric secretion and emptying, and chronic cannabis use can slow down the healing for gastroduodenal ulcers, leading to further complications. Unfortunately, many gastroenterologists are either unable or unwilling to ask specific marijuana usage questions on their intake forms, leaving many parents in the dark when their child seems so sick with stomach and abdominal pain. I hope just one parent sees this and before taking their kid for a colonoscopy or an endoscopy, they figure out if there’s cannabis abuse.
How Do You Recognize A Vape?
Chances are, you may have mistaken that small vape cartridge or accessories with a USB or computer component in your child’s room. My son told me that he estimates that 90% of the freshmen high school students are actively vaping.
The JUUL brand resembles a USB flash drive. This e-cigarette utilizes nicotine salts to enable the inhalation of high levels of nicotine. Juuls are all over and used in outside of schools, even in classrooms and bathrooms. According to the CDC, two-thirds of JUUL users are aged 15-24.
Vapes and Your Organs
According to the CDC, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine and that nicotine is harmful to the adolescent brain up to the age of 25. Think about that for a second if you think that vaping is potentially harmless. We all know that nicotine is addictive but let’s put that aside for a moment. The human brain is still developing up to the age of 25. Nicotine harms the parts of our brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control. Nicotine is changing how synapses are being formed!
Let’s now consider the flavors. Flavors are for your stomach. Your lungs cannot process “flavor,” and potentially can have difficulty processing the flavor of that e-cigarette. You need chemicals to make those flavors. This is not just a harmless water vapor being used. Vape flavoring has been linked to cancer, lung disease and even have heavy metals including lead. We are being sold-out for the almighty dollar.
How to Talk to Your Kids About Vaping
The Surgeon General has a great guide for educating kids on the dangers of e-cigarettes. Know what they look like, talk to your kids and take advantage of the online resources that exist. These kids are smoking in the bathrooms, in class, and when they are innocently hanging out with their friends. You can’t smell it on them like you can with cigarettes. Our only recourse is to proactively talk to our kids and, well, quite frankly keep your eyes open for the plastic pod casings. I’m particularly thankful for our high school athletics department that has a no-tolerance policy for vaping but am ever vigilant. Spread the word, this has been on my peripheral vision for some time now and this post is a year too late. Once someone starts vaping on a regular basis, the nicotine addiction is quite frankly unparalleled and unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
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