VAPING

What Parents Need To Know

WHAT IS VAPING?

THE ACT OF INHALING VAPOR PRODUCED BY ANY KIND OF E-CIGARETTE OR PERSONAL VAPORIZER. USERS LOAD A LIQUID SOLUTION CONTAINING THEIR DRUG OF CHOICE INTO THE DEVICE. WHEN THEY DRAW ON THE DEVICE, THE BATTERY HEATS

THE LIQUID, WHICH IS THEN ATOMIZED INTO AN INHALABLE VAPOR.

VAPING DEVICES:

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• Electronic cigarette: Smokeless, battery operated device used to

deliver nicotine with flavorings or other chemicals to the lungs.

• Vaporizer pen or vape pen: A device ranging in size from a standard

pen to a large cigar used to generate an inhalable vapor from a solid,

semi-solid, or liquid substance.

• Three components: A liquid cartridge used to produce the vapor.

A heating element known as the atomizer and a rechargeable

battery to power the atomizer.

TEENS MAY NOT CALL THEM E-CIGARETTES:

“CARTRIDGES”

“CARTS”

“WATER PIPE”

“VAPE PIPE/PEN”

“VAPE”

“JUUL”

“SOURIN DROP”

Note: Some e-cigs connect to other electronic devices to play music and answer calls.

WHAT ARE TEENS VAPING?

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E-LIQUID/E-JUICE

• MAIN INGREDIENT: PROPYLENE GLYCOL

(PG ) AND/OR VEGETABLE GLYCERIN (VG)

USUALLY WITH WATER-SOLUBLE FOOD

FLAVORINGS WITH OR WITHOUT

NICOTINE & THC.

• ALLERGIES TO PG ARE RARE, BUT IT CAN

IRRITATE THE LUNGS AND EYES AND MAY

BE MORE HARMFUL TO PEOPLE WITH

CHRONIC LUNG DISEASES LIKE ASTHMA

AND EMPHYSEMA.

• THE FDA GENERALLY VIEWS BOTH PG

AND VG AS SAFE IN FOOD, DRUGS AND

COSMETICS BUT THERE HAVE NOT BEEN

SUFFICIENT SCIENTIFIC STUDIES DONE ON

WHAT THE IMPACT OF INHALING THEM

ON A SHORT OR LONG TERM BASIS MAY

BE.

• PLEASE NOTE: IT IS NOT ALWAYS CLEAR

WHAT IS IN E-LIQUIDS.

WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED?

JUST WATER VAPOR?

“HARMLESS” VAPOR TOXIC CHEMICALS ARE FORMED AS THE E-LIQUID HEATS UP TO MAKE THE AEROSOL THAT E-CIG USERS INHALE

NICOTINE

• E-CIGARETTES CAN INCREASE

NICOTINE ADDICTION AMONG

YOUNG PEOPLE AND MAY LEAD

KIDS TO TRY OTHER TOBACCO

PRODUCTS, INCLUDING

CONVENTIONAL CIGARETTES

• TEENS DON’T ALWAYS KNOW

HOW MUCH NICOTINE THEY ARE

INHALING

THC :TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL IS THE CHEMICAL RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF

MARIJUANA'S PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS (NIDA).

• DRY HERBAL MARIJUANA

(FLOWERS),MARIJUANA OIL OR

WAX AND SYNTHETIC FORMS OF

MARIJUANA

• LIQUID THC IS APPLIED TO A

VAPING DEVICE THE SAME WAY

THAT FLAVORED NICOTINE LIQUID

IS

• USE OF HASH OIL, IS BECOMING

MORE COMMON

ALCOHOL • WHEN YOU DRINK ALCOHOL, IT IS

ABSORBED THROUGH THE BODY

OVER TIME

• WHEN YOU VAPE ALCOHOL, IT GOES

DIRECTLY INTO YOUR BLOODSTREAM

• THERE IS A RAPID RUSH OF ALCOHOL

TO THE BRAIN

• RATES OF ALCOHOL POISONING ARE

MUCH HIGHER AND THERE IS NO

WAY TO “DETOX” FROM IT

HOW DO TEENS GET VAPES AND HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?

It’s disturbingly easy

for kids to buy vaping

gear online. All they

need is to “claim” they

are old enough plus a

debit or credit card.

Some companies have

even given away free

samples over the

internet.

E-CIGS AND SCHOOLS • PRODUCTS THAT LOOK LIKE PENS OR HIGHLIGHTERS CAN EASILY BE HIDDEN

BY STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS

• TEACHERS MAY NOT RECOGNIZE E-CIGS, AND SMOKE DETECTORS WON’T CATCH THE

AEROSOL

• THERE IS NO ODOR

TALKING WITH TEENS

• SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING HAS DECREASED

OVER THE YEARS, KIDS AND ADULTS HAVE GOTTEN THE MESSAGE THAT

IT IS BAD FOR YOU.

• UNFORTUNATELY, KIDS ARE NOW GETTING THE MARKETING MESSAGE

THAT VAPING IS AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE.

TALKING WITH TEENS

• PLAY IT CASUAL AND TRY NOT TO BE CRITICAL OR JUDGMENTAL.

• TIMING IS EVERYTHING. LOOK FOR NATURAL OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THE

DISCUSSION.

• CONVERSATION STARTERS:

• “I'VE READ/HEARD THIS” OR

• “I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT…?” OR

• “DO YOU KNOW ANY KIDS THAT ARE USING E-CIGARETTES?” OR

• “WHAT DO YOUR CLASSMATES THINK ABOUT E-CIGARETTES?” OR

• “WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VAPING?”

TALKING WITH TEENS

• IT'S HARDER TO DETECT IF KIDS ARE USING E-CIGARETTES COMPARED TO

TRADITIONAL CIGARETTES.

• THEY WON'T HAVE SMOKE ON THEIR BREATH, BUT YOU MAY SMELL

SOMETHING SWEET…. OR THEY MAY SHOW SIGNS OF NICOTINE

WITHDRAWAL, LIKE THE IRRITABILITY ADULT CIGARETTE SMOKERS CAN

EXPERIENCE.

• THEY MAY BE SPENDING MONEY ON VAPE PRODUCTS AND MAY BE HANGING

OUT WITH OTHER KIDS WHO VAPE.

TALKING WITH TEENS

• GET EDUCATED AND STRESS THE SERIOUSNESS OF VAPING, AS A DECISION TO

NOT JUST MAKE ON A WHIM, BUT ONE WITH POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF

LIFELONG PROBLEMS.

• THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU THAT IT IS A SERIOUS DRUG.

TALKING WITH TEENS

• TODAY'S TEENS ARE HEALTH-SAVVY.

• NICOTINE CAN LEAD TO:

• HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

• FATIGUE

• SUDDEN MOOD CHANGES

• CAN LEAD TO A LIFELONG, EXPENSIVE AND HEALTH-HARMING ADDICTION

PARENT TIPS FROM THE SURGEON GENERAL

• HTTPS://E-CIGARETTES.SURGEONGENERAL.GOV/

• HTTPS://E-CIGARETTES.SURGEONGENERAL.GOV/DOCUMENTS/SGR_ECIG_PARENTTIPSHEET_508.PDF