TEEN PARENTS: The 101 on the Hottest Trend -Vaping & Juuling

“Do you even vape, bro?” Vaping and juuling is the new smoking and “in” activity among teens.

In a 2016 report from the US surgeon general stated, “a 900% increase e-cigarette use by high school students from 2011 to 2015”.

The 2016 National Youth Tobacco Survey noted, “1.7 million high school students said they had used e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days.” And it’s not just high schoolers, in middle schoolers the survey numbers were 500,000 students. Studies show that one in five eighth-graders that currently use tobacco products got there by starting with e-cigarettes.

Cigarette smoking rates hit record lows before this e-cigarette craze. Now this trend has driven what's arguably the largest increase of teen nicotine use. The whole point of e-cigs were to help cigarette smokers quit cigarettes and also quit e-cigs NOT replace it. It was suppose to make it easier for smokers to quit. But now..

Teens who would have never smoked cigarettes are happily using without realizing it’s packed with nicotine, an addictive substance. But WHY?

E-cigarettes seem to be attempting to attract the teens by using flavors like tutti frutti, cotton candy and sour gummy worms.
They’re easy to get their hands on them. A new Vape shop just opened up in the Kentlands, Gaithersburg and many are all around now.
They’re cheaper than cigarettes.
Typical e-cigarettes have nicotine levels ranging from 6 to 30 milligrams per milliliter.
Some use it to cope with anxiety and depression. Many say it's calming and relaxes them. Which is true because when you develop an addiction to something, and your body starts to rely on it after leaving your body craving it for so long, and you eventually give your body the thing it desires you will get a sense of relaxation.
Kids can do it ANYWHERE. In their room or even in school and even in the classroom. What they do is put it up their sleeve and bring their sleeve up to their mouth to inhale. Some keep the smoke in as to not produce smoke.
Easy to hide because:
no smoker’s breath/foul smell
no ash/flame
no cigarette butt or waste

What is Vaping?

“Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, which is produced by an e-cigarette or similar device”, stated the Center on Addiction.

It is seen as a better alternative and way to wean off of cigarettes. It is a first step for many to quit the intake of nicotine all together. Even though some studies have reported no proof that they do help cigarette smokers quit. The bigger problem is that it is now however, an activity that many teens are getting into.

What is Juuling?

Juuling is an e-cigarette device that is battery operated and can be plugged into a laptop, looking quite similar to a USB. It is a lot smaller and more discreet than other vaping devices. It is odorless and easy to get away with.

Facts you should know about Juuling:

Each “pod” ( a pod is where the liquid is) contains 59 milligrams of nicotine per milliliter of liquid. Juul claims that one pod is equal to a pack of cigarettes in terms of nicotine, but tobacco experts have shared that equivalency is difficult to define because not all the nicotine released in cigarette smoke is inhaled, and some is trapped in the filter.
“Juul contains three times the nicotine levels permitted in the European Union, which is why Juul can’t be sold there.” According to Vox. Juul pods contain 59 milligrams of nicotine for every milliliter of liquid, significantly more than the 6 milligrams to 30 milligrams found in other e-cigarettes. It's also banned in Israel.
Juul’s creators ramped up the nicotine levels on purpose. They realized many of the e-cigarettes on the market don’t hit smokers’ systems in a way that’s comparable to cigarettes.
Juul vaporizes a liquid that contains nicotine salts. In Juul, these nicotine salts are absorbed into the body at almost the same speed as nicotine in regular cigarettes, a speed that comes from the use of freebase nicotine.
“Unlike the freebase nicotine in regular cigarettes, which can be very irritating, nicotine salt goes down smoothly and doesn’t cause the unpleasant feeling in the chest and lungs that cigarette smoke does” said David Liddell Ashley, a former director of the office of science in the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA.
Vapers can get the same nicotine effect but without the strong cough that accompanies a new smoker. So it may be easier for a user to start on this product.

Negative Effects:

Studies evaluating whether e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes have been inconclusive, according to a review of studies published in the journal Tobacco Control in May 2014.

The long-term health effects in people who get nicotine in a vaporized form over time are not known. .and its scary to think about finding out in 20-30 years. But here is what we do know..

The addiction to the nicotine could lead young people to also take up smoking to get their fix.
E-cigarettes can have a substantial effect on blood vessels, and may increase people's heart attack risk.
Nicotine can be toxic to a young person's still-developing brain and body systems.
Studies have shown that kids who use e-cigarettes have more respiratory problems and take more days off from school.
While markets claim "harmless water vapor", research on the vapors emitted and inhaled from e-cigarettes has shown they deliver particles small enough to reach deep into the lungs.
Also, nicotine travels to the brain instantly with smoking cigarettes. When vaping, there is still the intake of nicotine. It travels in a slower and different process.It is possible with vaping that one can get sick from overdosing on nicotine.

Because nicotine in vaping travels in a slower process, a person who is vaping may not be able to tell when the intake of nicotine is enough for them.

“Symptoms of nicotine overdose include”…

racing pulse, palpitations
sweaty palms
slurred speech, lisp
muscle twitching
hearing or vision problems
salivation, drooling
loss of appetite
vomiting

FDA is finally putting their foot down.

Officials shared that the usage has reached epidemic levels and federal regulators are threatening to take e-cigarettes off the market if manufacturers don’t control the teen use.

"E-cigs have become an almost ubiquitous and dangerous trend among teenagers. The disturbing and accelerating trajectory of use we're seeing in youth, and the resulting path to addiction, must end. The FDA cannot tolerate a whole generation of young people becoming addicted to nicotine as a trade off for enabling adults to access these products."FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. To read more about what the FDA plans to do, click here.

You found out your teen is vaping..now what?

When finding out about your teen engaging in vaping or juuling, it is important to ask your teen about their stance on why they may enjoy engaging in such activities. This is important because when approaching your teen, it is helpful to have an understanding, natural approach. Being too stern can turn your teen away and make the situation worse in some cases.It is important to stay involved with your teen and look for the crowd they associate with.

Having an open conversation where they know it is a safe space to come to you is very important. Educate your teen on how it affects their health. If they're doing it to cope with anxiety or depression, contact a mental health counselor in your area so they have a healthy outlet and learn healthy coping skills/strategies to help the.

Sources:

https://ecigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/documents/SGR_ECig_ParentTipsheet_508.pdf

http://whatisvaping.com

http://www.ansrmn.org/ecigs

http://drsherylziegler.com/what-is-juling/

https://yourteenmag.com/health/physical-health/what-is-juuling

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/vaping-isnt-safe-e-cigarette-vapours-are-loaded-with-toxic-metals/articleshow/63029862.cms

https://www.centeronaddiction.org/e-cigarettes/recreational-vaping/what-vaping

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/04/06/health/high-schools-vaping-epidemic/index.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/science-and-health/2018/5/1/17286638/juul-vaping-e-cigarette

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