LETTER: E-cigarettes and vaping carry their own risks
To the Editor:
Teenage smoking is at an all-time low nationwide. Dedicated, hardworking health, community, and youth advocates have been working hard to protect our children from Big Tobacco and its marketing
tactics over the past 25 years.
Yet kids are still getting addicted to nicotine.
E-cigarette and vaporizers are now on the market, and their use is increasing. When asked about e-cigarettes and vaping, most people don’t know the health risks. The devices are adjustable, and it is up to the user to decide how much fluid is used each time. This makes these devices very dangerous for young adults who don’t realize that they contain nicotine. These products are marketed with cartoons and have fruity sweet flavors. Just like with other tobacco products, we need to let tobacco companies and retailers know that marketing these harmful products to youth is not acceptable. We also need to educate everyone on the dangers of these new devices.
These products, including the JUUL, are showing some very familiar trends. We know:
1. Nicotine is highly addictive. One pod in the e-cigarette equals one pack of cigarettes in terms of the amount of nicotine. Drugs like nicotine, which are highly addictive, change the brain and how it works. These changes can lead to many harmful, often self-destructive, behaviors.
2. Danger to the lungs. There is a danger to the lungs from the chemicals being inhaled when the pods are heated up. There are chemicals and heavy metals being inhaled in the vapor. Furthermore, e-cigarette “smoke” is harmful to everyone. Many users think that what they are inhaling and exhaling is harmless water vapor, but it actually contains chemicals and metals that can harm anyone around it.
3. Nicotine affects brain development in youth. The brain is not fully developed until a person reaches 25 years old. Nicotine can prime the brain for addiction to opiates and other drugs. So, if a youth is prescribed an opiate for a sports injury or dental procedure, the brain is already more likely to be susceptible to addiction.
The e-cigarette and vaping issue is the same as with traditional tobacco products, just with a new delivery system, and we should make sure we include these new devices when talking about tobacco. Madison County has taken a proactive approach and has changed a local law so that e-cigarettes, vaping, and nicotine dispensing devices cannot be used on county property, including parks. Other possible regulatory approaches include enforcement in schools, raising the age of sale for tobacco and nicotine products, and expanding product marketing restrictions for tobacco to include e-cigarettes
and vaping devices.
Madison County has community outreach and education programs to help us work towards our goal of bettering lives and communities, including BRiDGES, Madison County Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse, Inc. The County’s Tobacco Prevention Program is a community partnership funded by the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Tobacco Control. For more information, visit madisoncounty.ny.gov/206/Health-Department and bridgescouncil.org/.
Sincerely,
Katherine Mungari
Director of Community Health
Madison County Department of Health