One of the most galling aspects of vaping is not that the industry has
targeted minors with candy-like flavors and names. Nor is it that vaping
fluid often contains nicotine or THC (one of the principal psychoactive
ingredients in cannabis). The most galling thing about vaping is that
the industry has managed to convince 3.6 million middle and high school
students that vaping is harmless.
Recently, the CDC issued a warning about the health risks of vaping, citing
a disturbing 805 lung injuries in 46 states, including 13 deaths that
are believed to be associated with vaping. The CDC received data on only
373 of the cases. While two-thirds of those involve adults over the age
of 18, 38 percent of the recorded lung injuries occurred in people under
the age of 21, including 16 percent under the age of 18.
These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. Not only can we expect the
number of cases to grow, but we can also expect them to get exponentially
worse over time. Just as with smoking cigarettes, vaping will likely spawn
long-term chronic health conditions, including
lung cancers and interstitial lung disease. Kids who vape today will be grownups who
rely on ventilators tomorrow.
Meanwhile, as the numbers continue to grow and the industry profits, too
many young people – and their parents – remain unaware that
the vaping craze is really just Smoking 2.0.
There was a time in popular culture when the true health detriments of
smoking were not widely known. In fact, until just before the first Surgeon
General’s report on the harmful effects of smoking in 1964, cigarette
sales were at an all-time high. Until then, many manufacturers clung to
the claim that cigarettes were harmless. Early on, there were claims that
menthol cigarettes were even good for you.
It’s the same insinuation that we see today, and it’s one that
as a thoracic surgeon and a father, I find appalling. Ask most teens who
vape, and they’ll erroneously tell you that e-cigarettes contain
only water vapor. You don’t need more than a working set of eyes
to realize this is not true. If you’ve ever seen someone vape, you’ve
likely noticed the thick, white plume emanating from their mouths with
each exhale. Compare that to the invisible exhales in a steam room, and
you quickly realize that – despite the vaping industries protestations
– vaping fluid is not just water.
It is, rather, an aerosol often containing nicotine or THC and usually
consisting of the same carcinogens and heavy metals found in cigarette
smoke. It is extremely dangerous, and kids are getting hooked on it.
I appreciate that lawmakers and the general public are now starting to
understand the dangers, with Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Rhode
Island banning flavored e-cigarettes or all vaping products. But until
the danger becomes clear to the teens and younger kids who are lured in
by candy-flavoring and cute names, our grown-up handwringing will do little good.
I am clear with my own children about the dangers. My teens tell me that
they don’t vape, and I believe them, but as a dad, I don’t
know what I don’t know. That’s just the nature of parenting.
All we can really do as parents is to reiterate the risk, keep an open
line of communication with our children, and – most importantly
– lead by example. We are facing Smoking 2.0. With vigilance and
clarity, hopefully we can curb this epidemic before it destroys as many
lives as Smoking 1.0.
Daryl Pearlstein is a cardiothoracic surgeon, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach, CA.
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