is cannabis vaping epidemic

By Hilary Bricken, Founder at Harris Bricken Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the U.S. is facing a vaping epidemic where consumers are potentially inhaling/ingesting very toxic chemicals in the form of vaporized nicotine liquid and THC

oil.

Full Answer

Is vaping an epidemic?

Specifically, “vaping..attracts young people who have never even smoked cigarettes, encouraged by aggressive marketing and the variety of alcopops type flavors available.” With these statistics only continuing to rise, many health professionals are concerned about the potential for an epidemic.

What is the difference between vaping and smoking weed?

Vaporization of cannabis occurs at a lower temperature than combustion, which occurs when smoking weed. Vaping does not use a flame, but heating methods called convection and conduction, which regulate temperature to ensure cannabis doesn’t burn and produce smoke. Vapor often imparts a fuller flavor and smoother inhale than smoke.

Is it safe for teens to vape?

Teens and adults alike mistakenly think vaping is harmless, pediatricians and educators have discovered. “There is a misconception that they are only vaping water and that it’s healthy and that is not true,” Thompson said.

Is teen vaping an'epidemic'?

Teen vaping is an 'epidemic,' FDA says. Although some companies have said they were trying to make it clear their products are for adults only, Gottlieb said it looked to him more like an exercise in public relations and not a real attempt to stop selling to children and adolescents.

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Is vaping worse than smoking?

1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.

What percentage of college kids vape?

This statistic shows the percentage of college students in the U.S. who reported using select tobacco products in the last three months, as of fall 2021....CharacteristicPercentage of respondentsE-cigarettes or other vape products75.7%Cigarettes42%Cigars or little cigars16.2%Water pipe or hookah10.2%2 more rows•Mar 2, 2022

Does vaping damage your lungs?

Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death. Some chemicals in vaping products can also cause cardiovascular disease and biological changes that are associated with cancer development.

What are the long term effects of vaping?

These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.

What age group vapes the most?

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.

How much does it cost to vape per month?

An affordable vape pen, replacement coils and juice may cost you as little as $50 for the first month, while a full-featured box mod paired with an MTL tank, coils, and juice, may go up to $120. After that, you should expect an average of $30-60 per month for coils and juice.

What is Vaper's tongue?

Vaper's tongue (also known as vaper's fatigue) is a term that covers taste-related ailments. Often this happens from frequent use of a single, individual flavour. So, if you've been vaping the same flavour for a few weeks. you'll probably start to notice the difference in taste or lack thereof.

What are 3 signs of a vaping addiction?

There are also several physical signs of addiction.Dry Mouth. Propylene glycol, a common ingredient found in e-juice, can cause dry mouth. ... Dizziness. Researchers monitored 33 smokers over 21 days. ... Coughing. For some, vaping is a gateway to smoking. ... Skin Problems. ... Itchiness. ... Dry Eyes. ... Nosebleeds. ... Nicotine Overdose.More items...•

How can you tell if someone is vaping?

Signs a person is vapingA sweet scent in the air. ... Unfamiliar pens and USB drives. ... Drinking more water. ... Nosebleeds. ... Smoker's cough or mouth sores. ... New batteries and chargers. ... Discarded vaping pods and devices.

What percentage of college students use nicotine?

The percentage of college-age adults aged 19 to 22 who vaped nicotine also rose dramatically between 2017 and 2019. In 2017, 6.1% of college students and 7.9% of those not in college said they vaped nicotine in the past month, rising to 22% and 18%, respectively, in 2019.

Do college students vape?

For decades, we saw consistent drops in nicotine use in the form of cigarette smoking among young adults, especially college students. And now, with this rapid increase in vaping across a few short years, over one-in-five 19-to-22-year-olds currently vapes nicotine.”

Do people vape in college?

The Surgeon General declared e-cigarette use among young people a “major public health concern,” as is reinforced by the fact that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among young adults transitioning to and on college and university campuses.

What percentage of college students smoke cigarettes?

More than half of college students (53.4%) have smoked a cigarette, 38.1% did so in the past year, and 28.5% were current (past 30-day) cigarette smokers.

What is the appeal of vaping?

The appeal of vaping advertising is also stronger and more focused on younger markets. Specifically, “vaping..attracts young people who have never even smoked cigarettes, encouraged by aggressive marketing and the variety of alcopops type flavors available.”.

Is vaping dangerous?

With this much public and government pressure to enforce health and safety, it would be wise to consider the potential dangers of vaping. Even despite the lack of clarity on e-cigarettes, data does show that the people of the United States and the larger global community should take the threat of this epidemic seriously. We must be aware of the potential injury it poses to ourselves and our country’s way of living.

Is it safe to smoke e-cigs?

Despite the significant increase in the amount of recent lung injury cases, the positive and empowering intentions of e-cigarettes should not be overlooked. E-cigarettes were originally introduced to the market about 15 years ago as a safe alternative to smoking, delivering nicotine through a seemingly less harmful heated liquid. Multiple professional studies, such as a British study, published as recently as February 2019 in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that “e-cigarettes are more efficient than patches, gum or other products in helping people to stop smoking cigarettes.” Even though it’s currently difficult to quantify their health ramifications, these studies show that there is evidence that e-cigarettes are indeed less toxic than traditional cigarettes.

Does vaping increase the number of smokers?

Of further concern is that the growing number of vape users has been shown to also correlate to an increase in the number of first-time and daily smokers of real cigarettes, particularly in younger crowds, as noted before. This is quite opposite of the initially intended effect. William Shadel, a scientist at the RAND Corporation in Pittsburgh, Penn. says “vaping could make you more dependent on nicotine, and cause you to later want to take up cigarette smoking.” The role of vaping as an onramp to smoking real cigarettes cannot be cautioned against enough.

Who declared e-cigarette use an epidemic among teens?

This week, Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb declared e-cigarette use an epidemic among teens.

How long does it take for e-cigarettes to be approved by the FDA?

“The AAP rejects FDA’s decision to allow five leading e-cigarette manufacturers to submit plans in 60 days for how they will address youth use of their products.

Can the FDA regulate e-cigarettes?

FDA has the ability today to do what tobacco companies can’t and won’t do: take effective steps to reduce and eliminate youth use of e-cigarettes,” the group said. “The Academy urges the agency to use its existing authority to immediately regulate all e-cigarettes.

Is nicotine addictive?

Some of the devices deliver a hefty load of nicotine, which decades of research has shown is highly addictive. It also can affect a developing brain in harmful ways.

Do teens smoke e-cigarettes?

Studies have shown that teens who try-e-cigarettes are far more likely to then go on to smoking old-fashioned combustible cigarettes. Hawkins saw it first-hand in a patient who lost her Juul device and became frantic in her need for a nicotine fix. “She was smoking two packs (of cigarettes) a day,” Hawkins said.

How can physicians help with vaping?

The other way physicians can help address vaping in adolescents is by participating in advocacy at a local, state or national level. Currently in the state of Missouri, e-cigarettes are not included in the definition of “Tobacco Products” and thus are not subject to the same restrictions as combustible cigarettes. The sale of e-cigarettes to those under 18 years of age is prohibited, just as with tobacco. But the only regulation in place for e-cigarette packaging is that the liquid must be in child-resistant containers. The American Academy of Pediatrics is currently advocating for Missouri to include e-cigarettes in smoke-free laws and to increase the minimum age to purchase electronic cigarettes to 21 years.16Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians have both released position papers on vaping and offer further ways to join the fight. It is time for physicians to ask their adolescent patients about vaping and to provide education to the child and parents on the dangers of vaping. Physicians have the responsibility to be advocates for their patients working with medical organizations, state and local governments to address the adolescent vaping epidemic.

What is the advertising for e-cigarettes?

Advertising for e-cigarettes has been heavily aimed at adolescents. Everything from the billboards to the packaging to the product itself has been aimed at teens. Ads on social media were widely distributed. From 2014 to 2016, advertising for vaping exploded and one study found that 78% of middle and high school students had been exposed to at least one advertisement.1Pods come in fun packaging and the different pods are flavored to be attractive to adolescents, with everything from mint to gummi bear to frosted sugar cookie. This is especially concerning because studies have shown that flavor is one of the most important factors adolescents consider in trying e-cigarettes.4The devices to aerosolize the pods are designed to look like anything from USBs to pens to inhalers. They can be personalized much like a cell phone case and backpacks have special pockets for the mod devices.

What is an electronic cigarette?

Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that use an electric pulse to heat and aerosolize a flavored liquid that typically contains nicotine. They were first introduced to the U.S. in 2007, and they were advertised by the tobacco companies as an adjunct method to help patients quit smoking. This claim never had evidence to support it, as studies comparing the use of electronic cigarettes, placebos, and nicotine patches demonstrated no significant differences in abstinence rates.3But because e-cigarettes were seen as a treatment option, they were not subjected to the same regulations as combustible cigarettes. It wasn’t until 2016 that the Congress passed the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, giving the FDA the authority to regulate e-cigarette packaging.1

Do e-cigarettes increase the chance of smoking?

There has also been evidence that suggests e-cigarette use increases an individual’s chance of using combustible cigarettes . Adolescents who use e-cigarettes are 3.6 times more likely to report using combustible cigarettes later in life.9Teens have also been shown to be more susceptible to addiction. We know that nicotine addiction often originates in adolescence with studies showing that close to 90% of adult daily smokers started before the age of 18.10Thus, e-cigarettes are effectively helping to create a new generation addicted to nicotine.

Is e-cigarette use increasing?

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has recently risen to the forefront of medical discussions across the country. A significant increase in e-cigarette use by adolescents has been observed over the last decade. This article discusses the targeting of adolescents by e-cigarette companies. It looks at how teenagers are uniquely affected by nicotine and at risk for progressing to using combustible cigarettes and marijuana. Lastly, it discusses the role of physicians in combating the spread of e-cigarettes.

Can vaping be used to inhale cannabinoids?

Many vaping devices can also be used to inhale cannabinoids. One study demonstrated that teens who use nicotine liquid in e-cigarettes were 3.6 to 4 times more likely to use marijuana in the next two years.1Another study demonstrated that 1 in 10 seniors in high school vape cannabis.6This should be extremely distressing to physicians and medical providers because it is known that marijuana is extremely harmful to the development of the adolescent brain and studies have actually shown changes in brain structure. As a result, deficits in attention, learning, and memory associated with cannabis use in adolescents has been reported.11One study demonstrated that high schoolers who use marijuana were four times more likely to have multiple sexual partners when compared to students who only use tobacco or alcohol.12A sizable portion of adolescents who use marijuana report symptoms of paranoia, anxiety and hallucinations.13. Adverse effects from marijuana use, including cannabis hyperemesis syndrome have become common among pediatric patients.14