Teen vaping use in Boulder County second highest in state

Nicotine, a legal substance, is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. In the 1990s, 46 states brought lawsuits against the big tobacco companies, hoping to hold them responsible for the healthcare costs—and deaths—associated with their products. It was a long fight, and ultimately successful. The companies were ordered to spend millions on anti-tobacco campaigns, with the purpose of educating people to the real dangers of tobacco use and nicotine, and expressly keeping cigarettes out of the hands of children.

But nicotine has found a new delivery system—the e-cigarette or vape pen. Too easy to come by, difficult to detect, and possibly as dangerous as standard cigarettes, e-cigarettes have provided a whole new generation with an easy way to become addicted to this harmful chemical.

Since 2017, e-cigarettes and vape pen use, commonly referred to as vaping, has increased 78 percent among high school students and 48 percent among middle schoolers, according to the 2018 National Youth tobacco Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and the FDA. The survey revealed that 3.6 million youth reported vaping at least once in the previous 30 days.

In Boulder County, 36 percent of teens currently vape, making it the second highest usage rate in the state.

The largest manufacturer of vaping supplies is JUUL (“jewel”), a spinoff of Pax Labs. As of October 2018, JUUL’s share of the e-cigarette market is over 70 percent. The electronic vape pen is used by vaporizing flavored nicotine pods, delivering high doses of nicotine into the body with no combustion. With flavors like mango, cucumber and creme brulee, the appeal to kids is apparent. Add in the fact that a JUUL can be as small as a USB flash drive, making it easily hidden from supervising adults, and creating no obvious plume of smoke when exhaled, and it becomes easy to understand how vaping has become a pervasive epidemic among teenagers.

The sleek delivery system and appealing flavors hide some troubling health facts. One JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, making it easier for teens to consume much more nicotine than they realize. Vapers are also inhaling appalling amounts of toxic heavy metals, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, including chromium, aluminum, nickel and lead. Heavy metals accumulate in the body’s soft tissues, contributing to toxicity, cardiovascular disease, brain damage, and several cancers.

Dawson School in Lafayette will be hosting a parent information night about vaping to help educate and address this rapidly growing health crisis. Brittany Carpenter of Boulder County Health Department will be presenting helpful facts and tips to educate parents about how to address vaping with their own children. Carpenter has extensive experience working in tobacco prevention and control in schools.

“We are now providing the latest, next-level information (on vaping prevention) to our families; we strongly encourage anyone interested to join us,” said Ann Carson, Dawson’s Upper School Director. “It will take all of us being informed and working together to get this epidemic in check and help keep kids safe and healthy.”

For parents concerned about their own children’s view on vaping, talking openly and early about vaping and nicotine is the best route to take, according to Longmont United Hospital pediatrician Dr. Lori Smith.

“The most important thing is to listen without judgment and avoid criticism. You want to open a dialogue with your child to talk openly about e-cigarettes, which will hopefully open the door to discuss other topics, as well,” she said.

Dr. Smith also recommends the U.S. Surgeon General’s resource on vaping at https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/documents/SGR_ECig_ParentTipSheet_508.pdf

The presentation at Dawson School will be Wednesday, January 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Dining Commons. Dawson is located at 10455 Dawson Drive in Lafayette. To ensure seating at the event, please RSVP at http://www.dawsonschool.org/VapingInfo.