Kids, E-Cigarettes, Vaping, and New Tobacco Products
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Recording | Slides
E-cigarettes and vaping devices have become an almost ubiquitous – and dangerous – trend among youth that has reached epidemic proportions. Over the past several years, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product by youth. In fact, more than 2 million middle and high school students were current users of e-cigarettes in 2017. Health Centers and community organizations will have to develop campaigns and put resources to educate youth that using e-cigarettes, just like cigarettes, puts them at risk for addiction and other health consequences because nicotine can rewire the brain to crave more nicotine, particularly because adolescent brains are still developing. In addition, e-cigarettes, among other things, can contain dangerous chemicals such as: acrolein, a chemical that can cause irreversible lung damage; formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical; and toxic metal particles, like chromium, lead and nickel, which can be inhaled into the lungs.
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