The Dangers of Vaping
There has been a lot of media responses to the every-growing use of vaping in adolescents. If you haven't taken a moment to read any of the articles written or listen to stories shared, you may want to take some time to do that. The information available cannot be more frightening, and as a parent, you will want to ensure your adolescent is not using.
It's also important to understand there are simultaneous concerns around vaping both nicotine and cannabis, specifically THC. As we know, nicotine is highly addictive, and products such as JUUL have done an amazing job of marketing to young people. Some of the flavors are highly sought after; some of these include chemicals we can only assume are harmful to development.
As a parent, you may not notice a difference in behavior or symptoms between someone vaping an e-cigarette or a THC cartridge. For a growing mind and body, neither can truly be beneficial. Without being familiar with information out there around vaping, you may decide that getting your young person to stop is a battle you'd rather not pick. If that's the case for you, think again.
Below you will find some of the most important reasons to reconsider a conversation with your young person about halting their vaping before it gets too late.
Things to know if you learn that your adolescent is vaping:
Facing the danger of using products with unknown substances. Vape pen manufacturers aren't required to disclose ingredients in their products. As a user, you don't necessarily know what you are inhaling or ingesting. For any products purchased on the street, young people need to very wary as products can be laced with additional harmful and/or deadly ingredient.
Temporary side effects possible. Nicotine can impact mood, appetite, blood pressure, and alertness. Whereas side effects of THC use can include sleepiness, increased anxiety, depression, and paranoia, and headaches and/or dizziness. Both can impact academic performance, motivation in life, and consequently can induce additional mental health issues.
Unknown long-term effects of vaping. There is precious little known about long term outcomes data on the impacts of vaping. Anecdotally you may read about Thoracic surgeons detailing lung replacement surgeries in adolescents and how it is the "worst ever seen."
Addiction is possible. We all know Nicotine is addictive. National statistics also uncovered that teens who start using marijuana before age 18 are up to seven time more likely to develop an addition than adults. If you aren't paying attention to your young person vaping, or you don't see any cause for concern, you may want to pause on that and engage in a dialogue. Your adolescent may not understand the depth of their decisions and as a parent, now would be an ideal time to help them make healthier choices for their growth and development. Vaping, regardless of nicotine or THC, is not something to push aside as a non-issue.
For questions or comments contact Joanna.
