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"One of the first times I was sick was when I was trying videos," said Marissa Nielsen, a student at Blaine High School. She received permission from her parents to speak with us.
Marissa hopes her personal story will attract the attention of other teens. She is attending a confidential health support group at Blaine High School, led by Amber Hewitt, of the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge's "Know the Truth" prevention program.
"She knows it's not good for her – many of those kids," Hewitt said. "Vaping is the hot topic right now, I've heard it described repeatedly as an epidemic."
According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teenage vaping has surged in 2018. One in five high school students and one in 20 college students currently use electronic cigarettes.
Marissa told us that she is addicted.
"Yes, and I'm feeling nauseous now, I would describe it as the worst nausea, the worst headache, the dizziness, I felt like I was going to faint," she says. .
"Technically, it's nicotine poisoning," Hewitt said. "I think a lot of parents have this misconception that it's better for their kids to smoke cigarettes when in fact we just do not know it."
There are national and federal regulations regarding who can use electronic cigarettes, where they are purchased, and how they are marketed. But there are no rules regarding the amount of nicotine in the liquid. And the Minnesota Department of Health told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that it was a concern because many vape shops mix themselves.
"You can buy like 3 mg, it's a very low dose," said Marissa. "Or that can go up to almost 24 mg of ordinary vape juice.But salt, it varies between 25, 30 and 50. 50 being the highest.That's what makes you really sick. "
Because nicotine levels vary in electronic juices, it's hard to compare them to cigarettes. But experts agree that vaping nicotine is more powerful than smoking tobacco. And since electronic cigarettes were introduced only a decade ago, there is no information on the long-term impact on adolescent health.
"They are the guinea pig generation," Hewitt said. "You know, we do not know yet exactly what will happen."
"This represents a senseless amount of nicotine you consume," said Marissa. "I want people to know that it makes others sick."
The Anoka-Hennepin School District organizes an informative event aimed at parents of teenagers and vaping. It runs from 4:00 to 8:00 pm on April 16 at the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Services Center (ESC), located at 2727 N Ferry Street in Anoka.
Parents can learn more about what an electronic cigarette is, about the different types of vaping devices available, how to spot them and about how to talk to your teens about the risks and consequences of vaping.
If you have any questions, you can contact Minnesota's anonymous "Know The Truth" text line for adults and teens at 612-440-3967.
Teen smoking is on the rise in Minnesota for the first time in 17 years. Missing that MN has all the facts.
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, a non-profit organization committed to helping families struggling with the addictions of their sons or daughters, offers an essential resource guide for parents and caregivers: "Vaping: What you need to know and how to talk with your children."
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