By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.
After decades of winning young people’s hearts and minds in the war against nicotine, all of a sudden we’re losing, so now what do we do about it?
Last month, the National Institutes of Health said teen use of vaping products, or e-cigarettes, has doubled in the past two years, according to a survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders. One in four seniors has vaped in the last month. While cigarettes are no longer cool, vaping apparently is.
The vaping industry says its products are a safer alternative to cigarettes and are even a smoking cessation tool, which is true for some.
However, many vape users are simply moving from cigarettes to vapes, which contain nicotine and other chemicals. We don’t know what vaping’s long-term consequences are. Meanwhile, hundreds of severe lung illnesses leading to six deaths have been reported nationwide, often as a result of people misusing the product. Nine Arkansas cases resulting in eight hospitalizations have been confirmed or are being investigated. At least four involved users inhaling THC, the compound in marijuana that makes people high. Continue reading What to do about teen vaping?