Recent surveys suggest over 2 million middle and high school students in the U.S. are routinely vaping. That’s about 10 percent of our kids, and that's a lot. Short-term data and common sense confirm that vaping and kids is a bad combination.
How much do you really know about kids and vaping?
Vaping puts nicotine into the body. Nicotine is highly addictive and can: slow brain development in kids and teens and affect memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention, and mood ; increase the risk of other types of addiction as adults; E-cigarettes also: irritate the lungs; may cause serious lung damage and even death
Why do kids start vaping?
Why are kids trying it? Good kids vape, too. Peer pressure and managing stress are some of the main reasons that kids start vaping, even "high-achievers". And as kids learn about how it makes them feel, they become addicted and use it to cope with stress, anxiety or social situations. Some other reasons kids experiment with e-cigarettes include:
What to do if your child is vaping?
- Wait until the child is sober to have the talk.
- Understand that hostility won’t work. ...
- Have evidence or at least a firm understanding of the root of the concern because this will help to remove or chip away at the child’s denial tactics.
- Offer potential solutions, such as information on a rehab program that can provide professional help.
How to help kids stop vaping?
- Know the facts.
- Get credible information about e-cigarettes and young people from sources such as the surgeon general’s office, the Truth Initiative, and Parents Against Vaping.
- Be patient and ready to listen.
- Avoid criticism and encourage an open dialogue.
- Remember, your goal is to have a conversation, not to deliver a lecture.
Is it normal for kids to vape?
It's common among teens. By learning about vaping, parents can: Talk to their kids about its health risks. Recognize if their child might be vaping.
Is it okay for a 12 year old to vape?
The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine.
What age are kids vaping?
Parents need to “be aware that kids as young as 12, 13, 14 are starting vaping,” Evans-Polce said by email. “Conversations with their children about vaping need to happen earlier than they may think.” The National Youth Tobacco Survey is administered annually in middle and high schools across the country.
What percentage of kids vape?
That marks a significant drop from peak use in 2019 and from 2020 when the survey found that nearly 20 percent of high schoolers and 5 percent of middle schoolers were vaping .
Should I punish my child for vaping?
Now that you are aware of the hazards brought by e-cigarettes, you have every right to punish your teen for vaping. It does not matter if they are only using it for recreational purposes. Vaping is still addictive and damaging. Some ways to punish your child are scolding and grounding them.
Should I let my teenager vape?
Is it OK to let my kid vape? Because of the adverse effects and addictive quality, it is not a good idea to allow a teenager (or anyone) to vape. Aside from the risk of heart attack or stroke, the nicotine alone has been shown to be a highly addictive substance.
Is it OK for a 13 year old to vape?
A: The federal minimum age to purchase e-cigarette products is 18, but the laws vary by state – 49 states have set a minimum age that is older than 18. Unfortunately, the majority of underage vaping users are still getting the products from local gas stations or areas in their community that sell the products.
Is it OK for a 10 year old to vape?
Part of the Food and Drug Administration's 2016 Deeming Rule was a federal ban on the sales of vapor products to those under age 18. By deeming the tobacco-free devices and e-liquids to be tobacco products, they automatically fell under the existing federal restriction on selling tobacco products to minors.
What age do most people vape?
Teens and young adults. Gallup says that 20% of people age 18 to 29 vape, compared to 9% of people age 30 to 49, 7% of people age 50 to 64, and less than 0.5% of people older than 65. And, according to the Truth Initiative, 15- to 17-year-olds are 16 times more likely to vape than 25- to 34-year-olds.
Do middle schoolers vape?
E-cigarettes were young smokers' most commonly used product That equates to about 13 percent of high school students and 4 percent of middle school students. The findings are from the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, run jointly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
Why do teens vape?
addiction, they like the “hit” they get from nicotine. appealing flavors (e.g. fruit, candy, dessert) devices are seen as trendy, or a status symbol. they consider vaping “harmless” and “safer than smoking” in order to quit or cut down on smoking.
Do celebrities vape?
Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood, as well as one of the most well-known vaping advocates. His long career as an actor means he gets away with very little unnoticed. The Wolf of Wall Street has been a long-time vaper, having first seen vaping e-cigarettes as early as 2009.
What happens if you vape at 11?
Nicotine exposure during the teenage years can harm brain development, which continues until about age 25. It can impact learning, memory and attention, and increase risk for future addiction to other drugs. Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to go on to use regular cigarettes.
What to do if a 1 year old hits a vape?
If you suspect your child was exposed to liquid nicotine that was spilled on the skin or swallowed, call the Poison Center hotline: 800-222-1222 immediately.
What are 5 risks of vaping?
Vaping has been linked to lung injury.Rapid onset of coughing.Breathing difficulties.Weight loss.Nausea and vomiting.Diarrhea.
How many kids are vaping?
“Approximately 2.06 million youths were estimated to be current e-cigarette users in 2021. Use of tobacco products by youths in any form, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe.
Why do kids vape?
If you see your child heavily increasing their liquid consumption (and also peeing more), they may be vaping. Desire for flavor. Moisture is key to enjoying the flavor of foods. When the mouth is dried out, you lose flavor perception. So, with routine vaping, food can become less flavorful.
Why does vaping cause dry mouth?
Increased thirst. Vaping is hydroscopic, meaning the process of vaping removes hydration from skin of the mouth and throat. This leaves users with a dry, flat palate. As a natural consequence, the body craves liquids to combat dehydration. If you see your child heavily increasing their liquid consumption (and also peeing more), they may be vaping.
What are the parts of an e-cigarette?
E-cig devices do have parts and cartridges that need to be exchanged and replaced. Commonly, these parts are spare wires, cotton balls or small containers (“pods”) that contain e-juice. If your teen is carrying an unfamiliar tech-looking device, or if there are interesting items in their trash bin, I might ask.
Does vaping make your nose bleed?
So, with routine vaping, food can become less flavorful. This even has a name: “vaper's tongue.”. If your teen is reaching for the salt or enjoying unusually spicy foods, this may be a clue. Nosebleeds. Just like vaping dries the mouth, it dries the skin of the nose as well. When the nose gets dry, it can bleed. Acne.
Do Juul pods contain nicotine?
Most importantly, however, is the knowledge that kids’ brains are super sensitive to nicotine. All Juul and Phix pods contain nicotine. When an immature brain (read: less than 25 years old) is exposed, it takes less of the drug to get addicted.
Is vaping a risk for teens?
Watch for signs of nicotine use in your teen to help with early intervention. As the popularity of vaping continues to rise, so does your child’s risk.
Is vaping bad for kids?
Short-term data and common sense confirm that vaping and kids is a bad combination. Research supports the notion that e-cigs are a potential gateway to consuming traditional tobacco products, leading to another generation of kids who will become exposed to tobacco’s known harmful effects.
What is an e-cigarette?
E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat a liquid and produce an aerosol, or mix of small particles in the air. E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes. Most have a battery, a heating element, and a place to hold a liquid. Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens, ...
When will e-cigarettes be banned?
On January 2, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized an enforcement policy that prohibits the sale of prefilled cartridge e-cigarettes in any flavor other than tobacco or menthol, unless authorized by FDA.
How much nicotine is in Juul pods?
All JUUL e-cigarettes have a high level of nicotine. According to the manufacturer, a single JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes. 2
How do e-cigarettes produce aerosols?
E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. The liquid used in e-cigarettes often contains nicotine and flavorings. This liquid is sometimes called “e-juice,” “e-liquid,” “vape juice,” or “vape liquid.”. Users inhale e-cigarette aerosol ...
What is a Juul?
JUUL is a brand of e-cigarette that is shaped like a USB flash drive. Like other e-cigarettes, JUUL is a battery-powered device that heats a nicotine-containing liquid to produce an aerosol that is inhaled.
What are the most popular flavors of e-cigarettes in 2020?
5 Among high school students who currently used any type of flavored e-cigarettes in 2020, the most commonly used flavors are fruit (73.1%), mint (55.8%), menthol (37.0%), and candy, desserts , or other sweets (36.4%). 5.
What are the flavors of e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes come in various flavors, including fruit, candy, mint, and menthol. A study from 2013-2014 showed that most youth who use e-cigarettes first start with a flavored variety, and flavors are the primary reason youth report using e-cigarettes. 6.
How many students vape in 10th grade?
About 20% of 12th and 10th grade students and 13% of 8th-grade students vaped nicotine at last use. Across the demographic groups of gender, race/ethnicity and parental education, nicotine use in vaporisers never exceeded 26% in any of the three grades.
What is the most commonly vaped substance?
Table 2 presents the substances students vaped at last use, asked only of those who had ever vaped. ‘Just flavouring’ is by far the most commonly vaped substance. In all grades, for lifetime and past 30-day vaping subgroups, ‘just flavouring’ was vaped more than all other substances combined. Of the students who had ever used a vaporiser in their life (34% of 12th graders, 32% of 10th graders and 21% of 8th graders), 65–66% in each grade reported vaping ‘just flavouring’ at last use. Of the students who had used a vaporiser in the past month (16% of 12th graders, 14% of 10th graders and 8% of 8th graders), 59–63% of students in each grade reported vaping ‘just flavouring’ at last use.
What grade do you vape marijuana?
Among students who had used a vaporiser in the last 30 days, vaping of marijuana was highest in 8th grade.
What was the most likely substance to be vaped by males?
Table 3 presents the demographic distribution of substances last vaped among respondents who had ever used a vaporiser by 12th grade. Nicotine was more likely to be vaped by males, by Whites and by respondents who had at least one parent with a college degree. Flavouring was more likely to be vaped by females and by Hispanics (compared to Whites).
Why is vaporizer use important?
A third implication is that vaporiser use may serve as an indicator for primary prevention programmes aimed at nicotine use. Because many US youth who use vaporisers do not vape nicotine, they are candidates for primary interventions, which are particularly strategic to combat nicotine use because they take place before the need to address nicotine's addictive properties. Furthermore, recent evidence that vaporiser use is a risk factor for future cigarette use 14–18 suggests that vaporiser use can serve as an important marker for youth who are at elevated risk for future nicotine use.
What is a vaporizer?
The term ‘vaporiser’ refers to battery-powered devices with a heating element and is a term that includes the specific vaporiser device of e-cigarettes. Vaporisers produce an aerosol, small particulates suspended in air and vapour, the gas phase of chemicals, that users inhale. The liquid that is used in vaporisers comes in hundreds of flavours, which are available both with and without nicotine per the user's choice.
Is e-cigarette a nicotine?
The term ‘e-cigarette’ that is widely used in the research and popular literatures also implies nicotine use. Furthermore, this assumption of nicotine vaping underlies the practice of categorising all vaporiser users as tobacco/nicotine users, a practice used in US national estimates of tobacco use. 5.
How to talk to your child about vaping?
When parents are ready to talk to their child about vaping, Popova says “be ready to listen. Encourage open dialogue and don’t criticize their actions. At the same time be firm in expressing your expectation your child should remain nicotine free”
What are the chemicals in vaping?
A study in Pediatrics indicates e-cigarette users are vaping a number of cancer-causing, volatile organic compounds, including propylene oxide, acrylamide, acrylonitrile and crotonaldehyde.
How many students use e-cigarettes in high school?
E-cigarette use has increased dramatically among youth over recent years, with more than 3.6 million middle and high school students now estimated to vape. New data from the University of Michigan suggests that rates of e-cigarette use have doubled among eighth, 10th and 12th graders in the past two years. In 2019, the prevalence of past month nicotine vaping was more than 1 in 4 students in 12th grade; 1 in 5 in 10th grade, and 1 in 11 in eighth grade, the U-M survey suggests.
Can vapes be odorless?
Vapes can be odorless and disguised as USB drives, making them easier to conceal . The signs parents should watch for.
Is vaping a health risk?
However, parents can talk to their kids about what experts do know: vaping is a serious health risk.
Is vaping legal in Michigan?
Some legislators have taken steps to limit risks to youth, with Michigan recently becoming the first state to announce a ban on flavored vape products. Young people have cited youth-friendly flavors like mango and berry as a reason for trying the product.
Can e-cigarettes cause lung cancer?
Some teenagers may not realize that the vapor from e-cigarettes contains some of the same toxic chemicals found in smoke from conventional cigarettes and may have toxic effects on lung health as well, Popova says.
Is Vaping Bad for Children? What We Know
Vaping is still a relatively new phenomenon so research is still in its beginning stages. However, the effects of vaping are starting to surface.
Facts about Kids and Vaping
3 million children used e-cigarettes in 2015 (Source: 2015 National Youth Tobacco Survey).
How and When Talk to Kids about Vaping
Early education is key. Consider starting the conversation before children reach their adolescent years. Here are some important talking points to cover with kids:
Why is vaping a product?
Because that is the argument that the industry and many supporters of vaping argue, which is, this is a product, principally, that is supposed to help people who are smoking tobacco cigarettes get off of that.
How many people have died from vaping?
Nearly 2,300 people have lung injuries. And vaping has been associated with at least 47 deaths.
What percentage of kids use flavored e-cigarettes?
What we have seen is that 97 percent of all kids who use e-cigarettes use a flavored product. Seventy percent of them say they use the product precisely because of the flavors. If you have something out there that kids will want to get, they will find a way to do it. William Brangham:
Where do kids get Juul?
But what we also found is that a majority — a large percentage of kids will use Juul, the number one brand, get them from vape shops.
Which states have banned flavored e-cigarettes?
And many states are taking their own steps as well. California and New York have filed lawsuits against the biggest e-cigarette manufacturer, Juul Labs. And several others are passing their own bans of flavored e-cigarettes. Matthew Myers is the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Do e-cigarettes increase in youth?
The other critical fact is, the meteoric rise in youth use as a result of the flavors has not been accompanied by an increase in adult use. Today, there are fewer adults using e-cigarettes than there were four years ago. If we get rid of the flavors, we're going to stop the on-ramp of kids, and we can begin to address what we really need to do, and that is how to help adult smokers quit.
Is the e-cigarette industry responsible for regulation?
Well, unfortunately, the e-cigarette industry, which has done everything they can to avoid responsible regulation, have vigorously opposed his proposal as well.
How to help my child quit vaping?
Suggest that your child look into local programs and websites that help people quit vaping. Your health care provider can help you and your child find the right support.
What is vaping in smoking?
What Is Vaping? Vaping is the inhaling of a vapor created by an electronic cigarette ( e-cigarette ) or other vaping device. E-cigarettes are battery-powered smoking devices. They have cartridges filled with a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and chemicals.
How does vaping affect the brain?
Vaping puts nicotine into the body. Nicotine is highly addictive and can: slow brain development in kids and teens and affect memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention, and mood. can lead to smoking cigarettes and other forms of tobacco use.
Why do people use e-cigarettes?
Some people use e-cigarettes to vape marijuana, THC oil, and other dangerous chemicals. Besides irritating the lungs, these drugs also affect how someone thinks, acts, and feels.
Why do people quit vaping?
People who vape need the right motivation to quit. Wanting to be the best, healthiest version of themselves is an important reason to quit vaping. Here are some others:
Does vaping cause lung inflammation?
Sports: To do their best in sports. Vaping may lead to lung inflammation (irritation).
Is e-cigarette vapor made of water?
Toxins (poisons): The vapor made from e-cigarettes is not made of water. The vapor contains harmful chemicals and very fine particles that are inhaled into the lungs and exhaled into the environment. Sports: To do their best in sports. Vaping may lead to lung inflammation (irritation). Money: Vaping is expensive!
How to react when a parent discovers their child is vaping?
Getty Images. Experts advise parents who discover their teen is vaping to react in a calm and measured manner. Ask questions and listen to the answers they give.
How many people vape in school?
He says his clients report that, “at any given time between classes, there can be 15 to 20 people vaping in the school bathroom.”
What is Smokefree Teen?
Smokefree Teen is another resource with apps and texting options teens can access at any time.
What to do if your teenager is addicted to nicotine?
If your teenager has a nicotine addiction, your first step should be consulting with their pediatrician or your family doctor. They can help you determine how serious the addiction is and what options might be available for helping your teenager quit.
How many high school seniors have vaped?
In December 2018, the National Institute on Drug Abuse released a report detailing a “dramatic increase” in the use of vaping devices by teenagers, stating that 37.3 percent of high school seniors had vaped within the previous year.
Why does the author suggest talking to teens about how the makers of tobacco products are trying to manipulate them?
Instead of harping on the dangers of smoking, he suggests talking to teens about how the makers of tobacco products are trying to manipulate them — because no teenager wants to believe they could be easily manipulated.
Why do parents need to give teenagers space?
He adds that it takes time for teenagers to articulate themselves, so parents need to give them space to say what they need to say without jumping all over them.