National Prevention Week 2018
#NPW2018, #eatonengage
Youth Smoking Trends
“While cigarette and cigar smoking have gradually declined for high school students over the past decade, e-cigarette use has increased, and is now currently more prevalent than traditional cigarette and cigar use (fda.gov, 2017).”
“90% of smokers began before the age 19, and 30% of teen smokers are at risk of never quitting and dying early from smoking-related chronic diseases (dosomething.org, n.d.)”
“Nearly 9 out of 10 cigarette smokers first tried smoking by age 18, and 98% first tried smoking by age 26 (cdc.gov).”
A Summary of the Facts:
- E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes. Most have a battery, a heating element, and a place to hold a liquid.
- E-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products.
- E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products—flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs. Bystanders can also breathe in this aerosol when the user exhales into the air.
Terms and Need to Know Details:
- E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).”
- Some e-cigarettes are made to look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some resemble pens, USB sticks, and other everyday items. Larger devices such as tank systems, or “mods,” do not resemble other tobacco products.
- Using an e-cigarette is sometimes called “vaping.”
- E-cigarettes can be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
What is in e-cigarette aerosol?
The e-cigarette aerosol that users breathe from the device and exhale can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including:
- Nicotine
- Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
- Flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease, see article below on popcorn lung
- Volatile organic compounds
- Cancer-causing chemicals
- Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead
It is difficult for consumers to know what e-cigarette products contain. For example, some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Popcorn Lung: A Dangerous Risk of Flavored E-Cigs
Source: American Lung Association
The Risk of E-Cigarettes on Youth Brains
E-Cigs and Youth Don't Mix
Adolescent years are times of important brain development. Brain development begins during the growth of the fetus in the womb and continues through childhood and to about age 25. Nicotine exposure during adolescence and young adulthood can cause addiction and harm the developing brain. To learn more about the Surgeon's General Statement about the harms of E-cigarettes on youth, go here.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services
Resources to Help You Quit at Any Age
Connect with a free personal quitting coach at the Michigan Quitline. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Eaton County Substance Awareness Advisory Group
Email: ecsaag@eatonresa.org
Website: www.eatondrugfree.com
Location: 1790 Packard Highway, Charlotte, MI, USA
Phone: 517-541-8711
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ECSAAG/