Be on the lookout for purchases made online and charged to your credit card or unusual packages that arrive in the mail which may contain vaping products. Kids also buy vapes at big box stores, gas stations or from other friends. Talking about vaping isn’t a “one-and-done” conversation – bring it up again from time to time. And if you need additional support, consider asking a health care professional to talk to your teen about the risks of e-cigarettes. If you feel comfortable, tell your friends and family that you’re quitting vaping and that you will need their support.
Whether or not you think your child may be using e-cigarettes, open up a dialogue with them. Be sure to talk about the health risks, because many young people still think e-cigarettes are safe, according to Robin Koval, the CEO and president of Truth Initiative, who recently spoke to NPR. “Two thirds of [youth and young adults ages 15-24]didn’t realize JUUL always has nicotine,” she said. “Many of them started vaping thinking it was just great flavors and water vapor. They certainly didn’t sign up to become addicted.” The magnitude of the teen-vaping problem began to emerge last November, when the FDA announced that almost 21% of high school students had vaped during the previous month, a 78% increase over the year before. That number jumped again this year, to 27.5%, meaning that more than 4 million American teenagers vape regularly, according to preliminary reports from federal health officials. The 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that about 3.5% of high school students–more than 525,000 teenagers–vaped every or almost every day.
“Sh-t happens,” Burns told TIME in July, foreshadowing the rocky summer to come. I would love it to be less dynamic here than it is, because it’s not easy on the organization. But I think the organization understands that we’re at the forefront here and it’s going to be volatile.” Juul says that it does not make health claims and that it has never marketed to youth. Read more about packwoods x runtz here. The company has taken recent steps to make it harder for young people to illegally buy its products, both online and in stores. Jami Scheetz’s 15-year-old son Devon, who has severe asthma, kicked a brutal vaping habit over the summer, with help from a nicotine patch. But as soon as school started and he was once again around kids vaping, his habit returned. On Sept. 12, Devon vaped at school and immediately began sweating and vomiting.
These devices come either prefilled with or can be manually filled with e-liquid flavoring. When a user activates the device by inhaling through the mouthpiece, the e-liquid is heated and undergoes chemical changes to produce an aerosol (i.e., pressurized substance; Callahan-Lyon, 2014; CATCH, 2020;).
How to inhale a vape
E-cigarettes are available in flavors like cherry, bubble gum, and cotton candy, and are allowed to be advertised on TV, which may increase their appeal for children and teens. You don’t actually light up an e-cig; they’re powered by a rechargeable lithium battery. Instead of burning tobacco, the “e-liquid” is vaporized in a heating chamber when the user inhales. Several states have imposed restrictions on the sale of e-cigarettes.
Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation
This can delay or even prevent a person from quitting smoking. MTL hits will normally work best in smaller vapes with high resistance coils, using high nicotine. When you take a drag from these devices, no matter the size of the device, it should feel like sucking air through a coffee straw. This type of draw makes low vapor and feels like the act of smoking, providing a similar type of hit to the throat that many smokers crave. One of the biggest differences when inhaling a vape is the temperature. Because vaping devices turn e-liquid into an aerosol by heating it up with a coil, it feels much cooler than hot cigarette smoke.
Due to the negative consequences of using e-cigarettes, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that youth and young adults never try them and to quit if they are using them (CDC, 2020). Studies have shown that youth who vape are 6.8 times more likely to start smoking cigarettes than non-users (CATCH, 2020; Evans-Polce et al., 2020). In youth, e-cigarettes are considered a gateway substance as they have been known to lead to other substance use such as marijuana and binge drinking (Evans-Polce et al., 2020). Returning to school can be stressful for students, especially after a long break. With the added pressure of trying to keep up with classes, homework, and social activities, it can be tempting to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like vaping. Tobacco companies are promoting vapes as a stress reliever and a healthier alternative to smoking, but this claim is far from accurate. Vapes, like cigarettes, contain nicotine that can harm their health and mental well-being.
There are a lot of free resources available throughout the country, including the hotline QUIT and nysmokefree.com, which can provide counseling and even free nicotine replacement for patients. Propylene glycol, a common additive in a lot of foods, is used in vape pens to turn the nicotine into a smoke. Other ingredients include heavy metals, chemicals that have been found in weed killers and are known pulmonary toxins, and ultrafine particles that can go very deep down into the lungs. E-cigarettes are nicotine-based products, and no nicotine use is safe. Until we know more, it is probably best to avoid these products whenever possible, including secondhand smoke. Since e-cigarettes often contain the same chemicals as traditional cigarettes, smoke produced by vaping may be toxic to people nearby. If you don’t know what specific nicotine level is right for you, determine for yourself which bracket you think you’ll appreciate more.
However, you can also find over-the-counter solutions, such as gum and patches. Reflect on how much better you’ll feel when you drop the habit. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable sensations that set in shortly after you quit vaping. They might last days or weeks, but know that they’re a normal part of the process. If social pressure is a trigger, take a break from friends who vape or let them know you’re trying to quit. If someone tries to coerce you into vaping again, simply give a firm but polite “no thank you.” A good friend will respect that boundary.
The federal government also plans to ban their sale nationwide. It’s often easier for young people to obtain e-cigarettes, especially if the products are popular among their friend groups.
