On September 11, 2019 the President signaled that his administration would work to curb e-cigarette use after a seventh person died from lung disease related to vaping. The seven deaths plus the hundreds of patients who have been identified as having similar illnesses have caused some healthcare professionals to use the word “epidemic”.
Since it is very popular among teens, we thought we would do some research on vaping with the hopes of educating San Diego families. We did some research and here are 5 things we think moms should know about vaping.
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The Definition
Vaping is defined as inhaling of a vapor created by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or other vaping device.
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What All the Experts Agree On
Since experts have not identified a specific vaping element responsible for the illnesses, there’s some debate as to whether e-cigarette bans are the correct course of action. However, one thing experts agree on is that if someone has never used tobacco products or e-cigarettes, they shouldn’t start.
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Why are E-cigarettes Still Around?
There are possible benefits under a very specific set of circumstances. The stance of the CDC is that “e-cigarettes have the potential to benefit adult smokers who are not pregnant if used as a complete substitute for regular cigarettes and other smoked tobacco products.”
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What are the Specific Dangers for Kids, Teens and Young Adults?
Even before the recent epidemic of vaping related illnesses, teen e-cigarette use had healthcare professionals concerned. In teens and young adults vaping is known to slow brain development and affect cognitive functioning. It also affects the nervous system of people under the age of 25. Despite those risks, the percentage of teens who reported having vaped over the past 30 days increased by 15.8% from 2017 to 2019.
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What to do With All This Knowledge
The best time to stop teens from vaping is before they start. To many teens e-cigarettes may seem cool and harmless. That’s why it is important to make sure they know the facts.
Understanding the dangers is just the first step for moms. Next we need to learn to identify the signs your teen is vaping and how to talk to them about it. So stay tuned for more articles and discussion to come.
Have you dealt with a teen who started vaping? How did you talk to them? We would love to know how our San Diego moms are handling these situations with the hope of helping another mom going through the same thing.
More research and articles around the dangers of vaping
- Learn more about the dangers of e-cigarettes in this article from Scripps Health.
- See a list of signs that your child may be vaping in this article from Michigan based Beaumont Hospital.
- Share this just-for-teens article with your child.
