Vaping's effect on athletics unheeded

Teens in B.C. are continuing a multi-year trend of turning away from cigarettes. What they're not doing, according to a report, is linking the effect of a popular alternative — vaping and inhaling nicotine — on athletic performance.

The report, released by the McCreary Centre Society, is based on surveys completed by more than 38,000 people aged 12 to 19 in public schools across B.C. between February and June 2018.

Annie Smith, McCreary executive director, said supportive adults can make a big difference to young people.

“If they have a sports coach, or a teacher or school counsellor they can trust, they're way less likely to go on from experimenting to regular users,” she said.

One encouraging finding is that 19 per cent of teens have smoked tobacco, down from 21 per cent in 2013 and 26 per cent in 2008.

What stood out for Smith is the way youth differentiate between smoking cigarettes and vaping, especially around sports.

One of the reasons teens don't smoke tobacco is that they know it affects athletic performance. But they're not making the same connection to vaping.

In focus group surveys, one of the things the study found was that younger teens who are vaping think that because they're using something that tastes like bubble gum, it doesn't have nicotine.

Russell Teibert, the Vancouver Whitecaps' captain, is a board member of the McCreary Society.

In a video, he said McCreary research shows that vaping is one area where coaches, teammates and mentors can play an important role.

“Those involved in sports are much more likely to be vaping and seemingly unaware of the negative effects,” he said.

Athletes, he said, are always trying for a competitive edge over opponents.

“My message to our youth is: Do not concede any per cent when you don't have to. So much of the game is out of our control. So do your best to succeed in everything you can control.”