Vaping: long-term effects, unknown dangers | Rio Blanco Herald Times

MEEKER | "Smoking for the 21st Century" is a way of describing vaping. In the last two years, things seem to be getting out of hand. It seems that children and parents do not fully understand the consequences of vaping.

Vaping is the act of inhaling a vaporized liquid coming from an electronic device that can carry many names: electronic cigarettes, smokeless cigarettes, vaporizers, Vape pens, mods, tanks, cigalikes, JUUL, e-hookahs and hookah. The advertisement says that the vapes contain "harmless water vapor" whereas in reality, they contain a wide range of ingredients such as nicotine, chemical additives, flavors and THC , the active ingredient of marijuana. With these ingredients, vaping is highly addictive and can cause cancer and other diseases. High levels of nicotine in most vapors and JUUL products affect the brain, leading to long-lasting cognitive and behavioral impairments, including memory and attention effects. Side effects of vaping may include wheezing, coughing, sinus infections, nosebleeds, shortness of breath and asthma.

"In my opinion, vaping is the big tobacco method of fooling consumers and increasing tobacco use," said Julie Drake, director of public health for Rio Blanco County.

According to statistics, it seems to work. Healthy Kids Colorado Survey is the only state survey on youth health and well-being. In 2017, the survey sampled approximately 56,000 youth from 190 randomly selected middle and high schools across the state. The results show that 33% of adolescents use tobacco products, of which 27% are electronic cigarettes. It is also the second most tried and tested substance in adolescents, with 44%. The survey also shows that 100% of JUULs contain nicotine and that each JUUL capsule contains the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.

The problem of vaping has increased rapidly in the last two years in schools. Amy Chinn, director of Meeker High School over the past four years, said that during her first two years she had no suspensions regarding nicotine and that she During the last two years, almost all suspensions were nicotine-related.

To help prevent vaping in schools, the school board decided to use the current municipal code for the possession of tobacco products by minors. It states that anyone under the age of 18 who is in a public place with tobacco products will be referred to the police and may be fined or even tried in some cases. Since Vape pens contain nicotine, they fall under this code.

"All students who have been caught are usually reported. It's incredibly difficult to catch students first-hand because they are so easy to hide, "Chinn said.

Vape pens look like a USB stick for a computer and fit into a USB port on a computer. It is very difficult for a teacher or another adult to tell the difference between this "vape pen" and a real USB key. They also come in all flavors. They do not have a distinct smell because they contain flavors such as cotton candy, chocolate, grapes, strawberries, and much more. It is easy for a child to take it out of his pocket and take a quick shot in class without the teacher noticing it.

"That's good because people use vaping to stop smoking, so how could that be bad?" Asked a student from Meeker High School who wanted to remain anonymous.

Another factor explaining the students' vape is that they say they can control the amount of nicotine each time, and that some people do not even use nicotine. While this may be true to some extent, a small amount of nicotine is still nicotine. The effects will always be the same in the end. Some may not contain nicotine, but other harmful ingredients can harm your health. Although some brands can control the amount, all JUUL products contain at least some nicotine. In the end, vaping becomes a habit as trivial as smoking, and health outcomes could be further aggravated because long-term effects are unknown.

Many asked where these children got these products. You must be 18 to buy the product because it contains tobacco, but it's as easy as buying it on Amazon. Amazon offers a wide range of vaping products to ship directly to your home. It's easy for kids to sign into a parent account and buy anti-smoking products without parents knowing. Some children may have the help of older siblings and friends whom they can get. Access to this product is very easy, but parents can prevent their children from seizing vaping products by being aware of the different ways in which they get them.

By ALLIE WILLEY | Special at the Herald Times