The vaping epidemic refers to the effects that are caused after someone uses a vape product. These devices have been reported to cause many cases of lung injury, which can ultimately result in permanent damage or death. The main reason that this epidemic and its risks cause so much concern is that vape devices are most commonly used by teenagers.
Full Answer
Is there a vaping epidemic in adolescents?
The Vaping Epidemic in Adolescents 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.
What was the common denominator in the High School vaping epidemic?
“They were congregating. They were horsing around or sitting on sinks in the girl’s room and breaking them.” He sent teachers to investigate. “What we found the common denominator was: They were vaping,” Thompson said. This week, Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb declared e-cigarette use an epidemic among teens.
Should we call e-cigarette smoking an epidemic?
The opioid epidemic and the tobacco epidemic are two instances in which the phrase was considered appropriate. And the occurrence of e-cigarette smoking among teens has massively expanded in a short period of time: According to a 2016 Surgeon General report e-cigarette use grew by 900 percent among high school students from 2011 to 2015.
What is the CDC doing about vaping-related lung injuries?
The CDC is offering regular updates on the vaping-related lung injuries that have struck more than 1,000 of e-cigarette users. The agency offers detailed recommendations for the public as well as physicians and other health professionals.
What is the vaping epidemic?
The exposure of young people to e-cigarettes through the process of vaping has garnered national attention in the media. The prevalence of nicotine vaping in the US doubled in grades 8, 10, and 12 across a 2-year span from 2017 to 2019, making it the largest increase in adolescent substance use ever recorded.
Is vaping an epidemic in the US?
We must take aggressive steps to protect our children from these highly potent products that risk exposing a new generation of young people to nicotine. The bad news is that e-cigarette use has become an epidemic among our nation's young people.
How can teens stop vaping epidemic?
You might want to talk to a health care provider who can suggest effective nicotine cessation programs that help teens kick the habit.Vaping has become an epidemic. ... Ask questions. ... Be patient. ... Help them remove temptation. ... Encourage them to have a plan. ... Point them toward more help.
Why has vaping become so popular?
Experts say part of the reason for the surge in use in such a short time is the evolution of the devices themselves. "We used to say that cigarettes are the most effective way of consuming nicotine, but e-cigarettes have replaced them," said Dr.
Why do kids start vaping?
Curiosity (55.3%) A friend or family member used them (30.8%) Availability of flavors like mint, candy, fruit, or chocolate (22.4%) They can be used to do tricks (21.2%)
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.
How can I tell if my child 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.
Can you test your child for vaping?
Blood Test: A simple blood draw can detect traces of nicotine about two hours after use. Test priced at $70. Hair Follicle Test: This is a good option for parents who think their child has been either vaping or smoking nicotine for a long period of time and the child might stop using it just to get through the test.
What age group is most likely to 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.
How many cigarettes does a vape equal to?
A study measuring nicotine levels in JUUL users during a 5-day controlled switch found equivalence to 18 cigarettes. One JUULpod appears capable of delivering the nicotine equivalent to smoking about a pack of cigarettes, with variability.
How many kids are vaping?
2022 Findings on Youth E-Cigarette Use 14.1% (2.14 million) of high school students and 3.3% (380,000) of middle school students reported current e-cigarette use.
Why is vaping so addictive?
Nicotine is very addictive. The more you vape, the more your brain and body get used to having nicotine, and the harder it is to go without it. When you go without vaping, the nicotine level in your bloodstream drops, which may cause unpleasant feelings, physical symptoms, and strong urges to vape.
What percentage of people vape?
Key findings. In 2018, 14.9% of adults had ever used an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), and 3.2% were current e-cigarette users. The prevalence of adults who had ever used an e-cigarette and were current users was highest among men, non-Hispanic white adults, and those aged 18–24.
How many teenagers are vaping?
In 2021, more than a quarter (27.6%) of high school e-cigarette users and 8.3% of current middle school e-cigarette users reported vaping daily, according to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey.
Why is vaping a problem in schools?
Vaping is a big problem in schools these days. Kids are vaping in the bathroom, in locker rooms, in the hallways, and even in class! This can be extremely disruptive and dangerous. Vaping is proven to be a gateway drug, and it can lead to nicotine addiction.
What does the AMA say about vaping?
The AMA also continues to supports local, state and federal actions to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco and e-cigarette products that lure young people into addiction. We applaud states and municipalities that have enacted bans on flavored products and encourage other jurisdictions to follow suit.
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 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
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.
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
What is the vaping epidemic?
With the onslaught of Juuls, E-Cigarettes, and Vapes taking over big tobacco as a new trend within the last ten years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers of Disease and Control (CDC), and government officials are in a frenzy tacking this issue , now known as, “the vaping epidemic.” While we may think of the emerging epidemic as the cluster of headlines we see on the news related to illnesses, the multitude of issues within vaping and e-cigarette use goes far deeper than that.
What brands of vapes cause lung injury?
Other brands identified by people with the lung injury include TKO, Off White, Moon Rocks, Chronic Carts and others.
How many seizures have been reported from e-cigarettes?
As of August 2019, the FDA received 127 reports of seizures or other neurological symptoms linked to e-cigarette use over the span of 10 years. While, it’s a slow climb, it’s still a lot of cases. Though, more recently three new cases were brought to the FDA to kickstart another investigation which is still ongoing.
Why do people use e-cigarettes?
Among those who had ever used an e-cigarette, the most commonly selected reasons for use were: Use by “friend or family member” (39.0%) Availability of “flavors such as mint, candy, fruit, or chocolate” (31.0%) The belief that “they are less harmful than other forms of tobacco such as cigarettes” (17.1%)
Is vaping dangerous?
Throughout recent years, researchers have found that vaping at high voltages can release formaldehyde-causing chemicals, including increasing the risk of heart disease. Even if considered safer than cigarettes, vaping exposes users to more toxic chemicals and heavy metals than if one didn’t vape at all.
Is Vaping Safe?
While vaping can mislead regular cigarette smokers as a safer, more alternative route, there’s to much of a wide diversity with vape products and e-cigarette juices to cover all the possibilities of considering each one safe. The CDC’s website notes that while e-cigarettes are considered to be less harmful than regular cigarettes, “that doesn’t mean e-cigarettes are safe.”
When did the FDA start regulating e-cigarettes?
It is important to note FDA’s initial efforts to regulate e-cigarettes began more than a decade ago. Between 2008 and 2010, FDA attempted to regulate e-cigarettes as unapproved drug/device combination products. FDA’s action was challenged and ultimately, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that while FDA could choose to regulate e-cigarettes and other products “made or derived from tobacco” under its new tobacco authorities, it could not regulate these products under FDA’s drug and device authority unless they were marketed for therapeutic purposes. 1
How many youth use e-cigarettes in 2020?
While we are seeing some progress in youth prevalence rates, the fact that there are still 3.6 million youth e-cigarettes users in 2020 is deeply concerning and underscores the critical need for FDA to address youth use of e-cigarettes and other ENDS.
How many warning letters did the FDA issue in 2021?
As of May 31, 2021, FDA had issued more than 120 warning letters to firms selling or distributing unauthorized ENDS and that did not submit premarket applications by the September 9 deadline. Collectively these companies have listed a combined total of over 1,280,000 products with FDA.
Why did the FDA suspend inspections?
Suspending inspections was necessary to protect the health and safety of FDA’s staff and contractors (both adults and youth) who participate in the inspections. However, FDA’s monitoring and surveillance of websites, publications, and social media continued without interruption during that time.
What is the FDA's role in tobacco?
In 2009, Congress passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), which amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) to authorize FDA to oversee the manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of tobacco products and protect the public from the harmful effects of tobacco product use.
What is the definition of an epidemic?
The CDC and the FDA define an epidemic as “the occurrence of more or more cases of disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time.” An outbreak, meanwhile, would be an epidemic limited to localized increase in the incidence of the disease.
Who is the FDA Commissioner for e-cigarettes?
This week, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., announced that, despite their potential to help adult smokers transition from combustible tobacco products, the current acceleration of e-cigarette use by teenagers is cause for alarm.
What is an outbreak in medicine?
An outbreak, meanwhile, would be an epidemic limited to localized increase in the incidence of the disease. While the word “disease” is used here, the FDA has previously used the phrase ‘epidemic’ to describe situations where a massive amount of people are at risk because of a substance.
How many middle schoolers use e-cigarettes in 2017?
The CDC also states that in 2017 approximately 3.3 percent of middle school students reported they used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, an increase from just 0.6 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, among high school students in 2016, nearly 12 out of every 100 students did the same — an increase from 1.5 percent of high school students in 2011.
Is vaping on Instagram?
Vaping has a huge presence on Instagram; teens show off smoke tricks and Juuls are presented as status symbols.
Can teens vape to quit cigarettes?
Essentially, teens aren’t vaping to quit cigarettes; instead they’ve “ invented a new kind of bad habit ,” according to a memorable recent assessment in The New Yorker.
Is e-cigarettes dangerous?
I use the word epidemic with great care. E-cigs have become an almost ubiquitous — and dangerous — trend among teens. The disturbing and accelerating trajectory of use we’re seeing in youth, and the resulting path to addiction, must end. It’s simply not tolerable. I’ll be clear. The FDA won’t tolerate a whole generation of young people becoming addicted to nicotine as a tradeoff for enabling adults to have unfettered access to these same products.
Which states have banned vapes?
Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Utah have taken steps to ban flavored e-cigarette sales or even the sale of all vapes.
How many eighth graders have vaped?
A national survey of 42,531 eighth–12th graders finds that 25.4% of high-school seniors have vaped nicotine in the last month, while 20.2% of 10th graders and 9% of eighth-graders have done so. All of these figures have grown dramatically since 2017, the survey found, with past-month nicotine vaping skyrocketing 131% among 12th-graders in just two years.
What is the AMA's support for the Stop Vaping Ads Act?
The AMA supports H.R. 4249, the “ Stop Vaping Ads Act of 2019 ,” and urges Congress to take swift action to adopt legislation to ban e-cigarette product ads.
How to call the White House to ban flavored e-cigarettes?
Tell the Administration to ban flavored e-cigarettes! Call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111.
When did the AMA remove flavored e-cigarettes?
AMA letter to White House: remove flavored e-cigarettes from the market. On Nov. 26, 2019 , the AMA and the public health community sent a letter to the White House with the message that we believe it is essential to clear the market of all flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol, if we are going to reverse the youth e-cigarette epidemic.
What is the minimum age to buy e-cigarettes?
We encourage the passage of laws, ordinances and regulations that would set the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, at 21. The AMA also urges strict enforcement of laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco and e-cigarette products to minors.
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.
Introduction
- Good morning, Chairman Krishnamoorthi, Ranking Member Cloud, and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today to discuss the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA or the Agency) efforts to address youth use of electronic nicotine delivery systems, or ENDS, which include e-cigarettes. I am Janet Woodcock, Acting FDA Comm...
Background
- Let me start with some information on our tobacco regulatory authorities and our recent regulatory efforts regarding ENDS and e-cigarettes. Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Each year, more than 480,000 people in the United States die prematurely from diseases caused by cigarette smoking and exposure to toba…
Regulatory Requirements For Ends Products
- When the Deeming rule took effect in August 2016, many of the regulatory and legal requirements that had been in place for manufacturers of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigarette tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco since 2009, as well as several new requirements specific to deemed products, became applicable to manufacturers of e-cigarettes and other ENDS products. These i…
Data on Youth Use of E-Cigarettes
- FDA collaborates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to administer the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) to middle and high school students each year. The survey provides important data that allow us to understand current youth tobacco product use in a larger historical context. NYTS data from 2018 and 2019 showed disturbing increases in the use of e-c…
FDA’s Actions to Address Youth Use of Ends Products
- Protecting our nation’s youth from the dangers of tobacco products is among the Agency’s most important responsibilities, and we are taking aggressive steps to make sure tobacco products are not being marketed or sold to kids. Our work to protect youth from tobacco products is comprehensive and includes compliance and enforcement, premarket review, public education, …
Conclusion
- Thank you again for the opportunity to testify about FDA’s comprehensive efforts to regulate ENDS, including our actions to prevent youth access to, and use of, these products. The efforts described here are just a part of the important work FDA and the Administration are undertaking to protect children and youth from the harms of tobacco products. We still have much to accom…