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The consumption of teenage vapors is reaching epidemic levels and the FDA is considering regulating this phenomenon. One proposal would be to ban the flavoring of electronic cigarette liquids.
USA TODAY & # 39; HUI

Vaping is on the rise among teenagers in Wisconsin.(Photo: Getty Images / iStockphoto)

Local and national health authorities have expressed serious concerns about the rapid and steady increase in teenage vaping consumption, and they see no reversal in sight without intervention.

Part of the problem is that e-cigarettes contain nicotine that can damage brain development and metals, which can irritate the lungs – and that new researchers do not know what they could do to the body. youth.

A survey of youth behavior in 2018 found that 30% of high school students in Winnebago County had used an electronic cigarette in the last month. Two years earlier, the rate was 21%.

In Portage County, the survey showed that the use of electronic cigarettes among high school students has doubled in three years, from 13% in 2015 to 26% in 2018.

Doug Gieryn, director of the Winnebago County Health Department, described the increases as extraordinary. The consumption of e-cigarettes by teens has outpaced that of conventional cigarettes.

"We do not expect this trend to change unless we do something to create a situation where these products are less accessible and less marketed (young people)," Gieryn told US TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

RELATED: Neenah introduces the ordinance to ban all vaping by minors

RELATED: FDA declares youth epidemic, announces investigation

Scott Gottlieb, US Commissioner for Food and Drug Administration, said last week that young people were facing an "epidemic" and said the agency would stop sales of flavored electronic cigarettes if major manufacturers could not to do enough. minors.

The FDA gives e-cigarette companies – Juul, Vuse, MarkTen, Blu and Logic – 60 days to submit projects to dramatically reduce sales to minors.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry advocates the regulation of electronic cigarettes by the FDA and supports restrictions on advertising for television, print and internet, similar to tobacco products.

"The safety of these devices has not been scientifically proven and it has been found that they contain respiratory irritants, carcinogens and other volatile organic substances whose results have been shown to be safe. chronic exposure were unknown, "said the organization in a policy statement.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat liquid solutions, called e-juices, in an inhalable vapor to produce a sensation similar to that of combustible cigarettes. Electronic juices come in the form of hundreds of sweet flavors and often contain nicotine, the highly addictive chemical found in tobacco.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services monitors the use of e-cigarettes by teens because of the health risks associated with these products.

"First, we know that nicotine is addictive and that developing brains are more susceptible to addiction," said Jennifer Miller, Communications Specialist for the National Health Agency. "Nicotine slows brain development and can also damage parts of the brain that control attention and learning."

According to Miller, electronic juices can contain heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead, and the aerosols of electronic cigarettes contain superfine particles that can irritate the eyes, throat and lungs.

The Wisconsin Department of Health recently launched a campaign called "Tobacco Change" to educate parents about new tobacco products that appeal to children. The tobaccoischanging.com website provides information on different products and their health risks and offers tips for talking to children about the need to avoid smoking.

"Make sure your children know that sweet flavors do not make tobacco products safer or less addictive," says a video of the campaign. "Tobacco changes, parents, we have to follow."

Call e-cig

E-cigarettes are marketed as a safer alternative to smoking and as a cessation aid for those trying to quit smoking. Electronic juices can contain different levels of nicotine or even nicotine, to wean smokers from nicotine addition.

Unlike tobacco cigarettes, there are countless electronic juices – blueberry muffins, passion fruit, peach lemonade, raspberry candy floss, strawberry and kiwi gum, and more. -, which makes them attractive to adults.

"With colorful packaging, fruit and candy flavors, and a variety of styles and shapes, some of which can be mistaken for a USB key, the products have attracted young people," said Miller, spokesman for the department of the health.

Electronic cigarette juice comes in hundreds of flavors, including strawberry and kiwi muffin and blueberry muffin. (Photo: LiudmylaSupynska, Getty Images)

Nationally and at the state level, the percentage of students who use electronic cigarettes is lower than that of Winnebago and Portage counties, even though the data is older than one year.

Nearly 12% of high school students and 3% of college students said they had discussed within 30 days before responding to the 2017 national survey on youth smoking.

the The 2017 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 11.6% of high school students had been defeated in the last 30 days. Vaping was highest for whites, men, and older students. Some 22.7% of Grade 12 men were exposed to vapors, compared to 6.1% of Grade 9 men and 5.1% of Grade 9 women.

The survey conducted in 2017 in Wisconsin showed that 7.8% of students smoked cigarettes, compared to 38.1% in 1999. Only 2.3% smoked frequently.

User's point of view

Justin Haima of Appleton, 19, said he had been vaping for three years. It uses e-juice with 3 to 6 milligrams of nicotine and likes the feeling of immediate relaxation that comes with vaping.

"It helps to reduce my stress level," he said. "It helps me stay calm, especially with my ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)."

In addition to the temporary relief of stress, Haima said he loves the flavor of electronic cigarettes and the sense of community he has with other people who surrender. He said that there are organized competitions to see who can create the best cloud of steam or achieve the best steam rides.

Flavors are one of the main reasons why teenagers try electronic cigarettes. According to 2016 data provided by the Wisconsin Health Department, 88% of high school students in the state said they would not try electronic cigarettes if they did not come with such flavors as mint, sweets, fruits or chocolate.

RELATED: Juuling, components of youth for an epidemic, say authorities

Jennifer Smith, a saleswoman at Marley's Smoke Shop in Appleton, said that older people tended to empty themselves to quit. Younger people tend to take revenge for recreation. She saw non-smokers try vaping with friends.

"They say," Oh, that tastes so good, "Smith said." The cigarettes have an unpleasant taste. When they try that, it tastes good and it makes them addicted. "

Marley's Smoke Shop does not sell to minors, but Smith is aware of the parents who buy the products for their kids.

Steam vs smoking

Gieryn said the vaping industry was relatively new and largely unregulated, so the potential health risks with electronic cigarettes are not completely understood.

"The more we learn about them, the more we learn that they are not good for health," he said.

Haima is not too concerned about the long-term implications for health. He said that if he did not, he would smoke cigarettes. In his mind, vaping is the least of both vices.

"There are rumors that popcorn lung fumes (bronchiolitis obliterans) can occur," he said. "What do you prefer, lungs of popcorn or cancer? I would rather have lungs of popcorn because cancer is more deadly."

Gieryn and other health officials view e-cigarettes as a gateway to nicotine addiction in adolescents and as precursors to smoking.

"Children who use electronic cigarettes can be up to seven times more likely to use other tobacco products," he said.

Critics also fear that teens are increasingly using electronic cigarettes to distribute illegal substances such as THC.

The Juul cartridge electronic cigarette, which looks like a USB key, is easy to hide and particularly popular with teenagers.

"You can put a lot of things apart from nicotine in an e-juice," said Gieryn.

Neenah takes a stand

Concerns over electronic cigarettes at Neenah High School prompted Neenah's police to advocate for a ban by the city of vaping by minors.

The Communal Council will vote this week on an ordinance that would prohibit:

  • The sale of any vaping product to minors.
  • Possession or use of any vaping product by minors.
  • The possession or use of any vaping product by adult high school students when they are in school.

State legislation prohibits minors from owning or consuming tobacco and nicotine products. With vaping, it can be difficult for authorities to determine which products contain nicotine and which ones are not.

Neenah legislation would eliminate uncertainty.

"This order says you can not vape anything if you're under 18," said deputy prosecutor Adam VandenHeuvel.

The 2018 Neenah High School Youth Behavior Survey revealed that 25.9% of students had been bullied in the past 30 days. It is lower than the rest of Winnebago County, but still far higher than the state and country averages.

"It's really very high, it actually hurts me," said Jim Strick, School District Communications Officer.

The vaping rate of Neenah High School was 21.7% in 2015. The school did not follow the vaping before.

In line with state trends, the rise in vaping coincided with a decline in cigarette consumption.

The rate of Neenah High School students who reported smoking cigarettes in the past month increased from 9.5% in 2012 to 4.6% in 2015 and 2.7% in 2018.

"They have definitely changed," said Strick.

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