Health officials warn of vaping dangers

Trends change over time. What once was popular inevitably will go out of fashion as new things take their place.

One such trend is smoking. It’s becoming less popular to pick up a traditional cigarette, but vaping is now taking its place.

And if there’s one thing Wapakoneta City Schools leaders emphasize, it’s getting ahead of a situation before it becomes a problem. That’s why the district posted about a Zoom-based webinar hosted by Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes Tuesday morning: so parents could have the opportunity to learn about vaping and ecigarettes before it became a problem for their child.

Almost 4 million youth tried vaping in 2020, a drop from 2019. And 90 percent of all addictions start before the age of 21.

But children that are vaping are doing it more frequently and at higher rates. In fact, Ohio is grouped with 12 other states that are considered tobacco nation.

Dr. Monica Wilson, a volunteer for Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes and mother herself, pointed out the use of models and social media influencers in targeting teens on places like Quizlet, a website designed for children to make flashcards.

Juul and other e-cigarette companies held launch parties targeting younger people. In fact, $13 billion was invested in Juul by the same company that owns Marlboro in 2018.

“Through the pandemic this was really an issue,” she said.

A hard drug that’s difficult to wean off and with horrible side affects, nicotine is as addictive as heroin.

“It’s especially hard for those growing, developing brains,” she said.

And even when these companies were forced to stop social media campaigns, the damage was done because children would post photos of themselves with e-cigarettes in the classroom when their teachers were otherwise occupied.

“Kids are literally posting and promoting vaping themselves and now are our largest advertisers for these companies,” she said. “The internet has been filled with memes created by kids about how important it is for their Juul and making cartoons and things of that nature.”

They do this to replace the 50 percent of smokers who die. These advertisements also target specific demographics: LGTBQ , former military, lowincome neighborhoods, racial minorities, Native Americans and those with mental illness.

Dr. Judith Groner, a chiropractic pediatrician based in Columbus, pointed out that even with a flavor ban nothing in the industry changed because the ban didn’t apply to disposables.

One reason e-cigarettes are popular: appearance. Rather than looking like cigarettes, they look like devices that would be inserted into a computer and are easily disposable.

While these companies won’t show consumers how to refill pods, they’ll post messages that direct consumers where to find the

information on refilling them.

Besides nicotine products, there’s nicotine gum (not approved for smoking) and pixatine — the original nicotine toothpick that literally has nicotine embedded on a toothpick.

“Basically these are devices that devices that people who are addicted to nicotine use kind of in-between times when they can’t get to their cigarette or their vapes,” Groner said.

There are also wellness vapes that have essential oils and other product in them.

So while all these flavorings are labeled Generally Recommended Safe by the FDA, the FDA was referring to the flavorings as edible but not safe to smoke.

“These companies are making these products to entice [users] based upon flavors that they may find appealing,” Wilson said.

Another reason teens vape: peer pressure.

That’s especially true as these products are marketed as safe when they aren’t. These products actually heighten stress, anxiety and depression.

E-cigarettes are more highly addictive than traditional cigarettes because of the amount of nicotine content, meaning users get a head rush much faster. Juul’s can get 80 percent of what’s in them into lungs compared to 1-2 percent in a traditional cigarette.

E-cigarettes also offer 2,400 puffs, whereas a combustible cigarette has a finite number.

“Younger users are more prone to become addicted because their brains are still developing,” Wilson said. “Research has shone that nicotine per se causes permanent cognitive changes such as worsened memory, processing

speed and impulse control.”

And because users may start out relatively healthy before smoking, they may not realize the damage e-cigarettes cause until they’ve reached the point of constant vaping. At that point, according to Wilson, “their lungs are a mess.”

Vaping also weakens the immune system. Seizures, weight-loss and gastrointestinal issues can also occur from constant vaping.

Importantly, youth who vape are five times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19, and because vaping damages the lungs it becomes harder to fight the coronavirus off.

“Smoking and vaping increase the spread of COVID, which is a really interesting thought,” she said.