One Year Too Late

A Tragic Crisis That Could Have Been Avoided

On November 15, 2018, I wrote "What's in your Vape Pen," after becoming concerned about the rapid increase in teen use of vaping products here in Colorado, which has one of the highest rates for underage use in the country. I have included some of that information in this post.

Now known as Vaping-Associated Pulmonary Illness (VAPI). As of September 26, 2019, VAPI has been attributed to over 800 cases, in 46 states by the Center for Disease Control/CDC.  Multiple states (Michigan, New York) have outright banned flavored e-cig sales.  The White House has said it was working on rolling out a nationwide ban. California is warning people not to vape, period. Massachusetts is banning all vaping products for four months.

My question is why did it take so long?

Data complied from the National Institue on Drug Abuse/NIDA found that the percentage of teenagers who are vaping doubled in the past two years, with about 1 in 4 high school students using e-cigarettes in the past month. Statistics show that 83% are male, 67% are age 18-34 - with the median age of patients being 19 and more that 50% are under the age of 25.

Last November I was sure these kids were vaping nicotine related products. Yes, I was wrong. The data now shows that out of the VAPI, 84% of the patients reported having used THC products in e-cigarette devices.

A decade ago, in accordance with The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, the FDA supposedly banned all flavors in regular cigarettes but menthol. Please keep in mind that e-cigarettes have been sold (unregulated and with no Standards) in the U.S. for 20 years. It has taken a dozen deaths and hundreds languishing on ventilators, to wake people up and for regulators to finally do something about this epidemic that is currently affecting 25% of High School students.

JUUL, spent $30 million in the past year backpedaling in an advertising campaign to reduce youth use, and were told to pull all flavors except menthol and mint, as well as social media advertising in the US only. This was due to a '49% increase in use amongst elementary and middle school children, on top of the 60% increase in high school students' since 2015. This is also the company who made vaping devices in the shape of flash drives (so teens could hide it from their parents and school officials) and continued to sell tasty flavored products like watermelon and grape. This week the CEO of JUUL stepped down amidst this crisis, but not before the company raked in $12.8 Billion off of e-cigarette sales-that and a $13 Billion investment from big tobacco. 

As the author of children's books, I urge you to talk to your kids about the dangers of vaping anything - nicotine, cannabis or CBD products. Please support your talks with facts about their health and wellness. Be a good role model. It's not your job to be cool, it's your job to help them make informed choices that will affect them throughout their lives.

Here are some resources for you:

https://www.theverge.com/…/cbs-warnermedia-juul-e-cigarette…

https://teen.smokefree.gov/quit-vaping

https://smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/ecigs-menthol-dip/ecigs

https://www.usatoday.com/…/fda-launches-crimina…/2374603001/

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/…/explainer-nico-tee…

https://www.cnn.com/…/juul-flavor-social-media-f…/index.html

From last November: In essence, users are freebasing Nicotine, Benzene (Benzoic Acid - a preservative found in processed foods like cheeses, sauces, meats, in cosmetic products and many pharmaceutical products. "If Benzoic Acid is inhaled, it can irritate the nose, lungs, and throat, which can lead to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Large amounts inhaled can also damage the nervous system. Benzoic Acid has been linked to asthma problems and increased levels of hyperactivity in children/ADHD) Dicytel (a known carcinogen), Glycerol (a byproduct in soap manufacture, is used as an emollient, laxative, and for making explosives and antifreeze), Propylene Glycol (aircraft de-icing fluid, RV or marine antifreeze. It is also used to winterize the plumbing systems in vacant structures.) "A recent analysis conducted by Harvard identified 39 out of 51 popular e-cigarette brands contained elements of Dactyl ( Acetoin and Pentanedione were present in up to half of the 51 flavors that were tested. 1 of 3 of the above mentioned chemicals were found in 92% of e-cigarettes."