What may look like a USB charger or pen in your child’s backpack, could be doing more than you realize. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), also known as vape pens, take many shapes and sizes but they are posing serious dangers for teens and young adults.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), today1 in 20middle schoolers and 1 in 5 high schoolers – roughly 3.6 million teens – are vaping. This has prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Surgeon General to issue warnings that vaping among youth has reached epidemic levels.
The worrying part? Youth think vaping is无害. As a parent, here’s what you should know about vaping and how you can help educate your teen to make smarter choices.
What Are E-Cigarettes?
E-cigarettes是将液体加热并产生气雾剂或空气中的小颗粒混合物的电子设备，通常含有尼古丁，调味剂和其他有害化学物质来制造气溶胶。这些调味料通常具有各种口味，对青少年和年轻人来说可能非常诱人。
Why It’s So Dangerous
When e-cigarettes first came out, they were hailed as a “safe alternative” to smoking because they lacked tar and other harmful gases found in cigarettes, but Bahar Altaha, a child and adolescent psychiatrist withBanner Behavioral Health, says one pod can contain the same amount of nicotine as one pack of cigarettes. “We are still learning the long-term effects of e-cigarettes, but there are serious concerns about their addictive effects on youth and their overall lung health.”
Not only do these e-cigarettes pack a nicotine punch, they also contain ultrafine particles that are inhaled deep into the lung, as well as the chemical diacetyl, a flavoring linked tolung disease, according to the U.S. Surgeon General and U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services alsosaysnicotine use among teens changes how synapses in their brains are formed—affecting attention and learning and increasing the risk of mood disorders.
Dr. Altaha says there have even been cases where e-cigarettes have exploded in people’s faces, causing injuries and burns. “If a vape pen battery overheats or someone doesn’t properly handle and charge batteries, they can risk serious injury.”
与青少年交谈的提示
It’s hard to start a conversation with teens without risking push back from them. Here are threeconversation starterscourtesy of the CDC:
- Connect and Encourage.离开尼古丁很难，但我很高兴我辞职了。不要犯这个错误并上瘾。吸烟和烟草的使用不安全。
- 提醒并重复。You may be tempted by e-cigarette flavors, but inhaling them has been found to be harmful.
- Share facts and resources.I hope none of your friends use e-cigarettes around you. Even breathing in the cloud they exhale can expose you to nicotine and chemicals that can be dangerous to your health. I also read a report stating it can affect how your brain develops.
“Unfortunately, you have to be vigilant as a parent,” Dr. Altaha says. “Google pictures of different vaping tools to know what the latest ones look like, search your teen’s backpack and continue an open dialogue with them.”
Concerned about your child’s use of e-cigarettes? Speak with a Banner Health behavioral healthspecialistor call ourBanner Nurse Nowline at (844) 259-9494 to get advice 24/7.
