Addressing the Vaping Epidemic Among Youth.

Jasmine Pagano, Supervisor of Prevention Services
David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health

Vaping has become an epidemic among young people, with more and more youth across our community engaging in this activity. A staggering 1.63 million students nationwide, including approximately 1.2 million high school students and 410,000 middle school students, report that they use a form of e-cigarettes. Of those, more than 38% used an e-cigarette at least 20 of the last 30 days, while more than 26% used an e-cigarette daily.

At David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health, our prevention and education team works tirelessly to inform the community of this growing concern. Our team recently completed project in partnership with Collier County Public Schools to ensure every 6th grade student received a presentation on vaping.

While most e-cigarettes contain nicotine and are highly addictive, tobacco-free products also come with risks. Nicotine can harm the parts of a young person’s brain that control attention, learning, mood, impulse control and overall development.

E-cigarette use can also impact the lungs, teeth and gums, skin and heart, significantly impacting a child’s academic performance and ability to reach goals, participate in athletics and make rational decisions.

A variety of factors can attract young people to trye-cigarettes, including:

  • Tobacco advertising: Tobacco companies often use themes and tactics found to increase youth initiation of e-cigarette and tobacco use. In 2021, 7 in 10 middle and high school students in the U.S. reported exposure to e-cigarette marketing through retail settings, internet or social media, television, streaming services and movies.
  • Availability of flavored products: E-cigarettes come in a multitude of youth-friendly flavors such as fruit, candy, mint and menthol. Availability of flavors is among the top 10 reasons youth report ever trying an e-cigarette. In 2023, nearly 9 in 10 middle and high school students who currently use e-cigarettes used a flavored product.
  • Social influences: Youth often obtain e-cigarettes from their peers. In 2021, 32% of U.S. middle and high school students who used e-cigarettes stated they got them from a friend and 31% said they bought them themselves.•
  • Addictive nature of nicotine: What may start as social experimentation can quickly become an addiction. Adolescent brains are uniquely susceptible to nicotine. The most common reason youth gave for currently using an e-cigarette is to relieve symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. This may lead to a cycle of nicotine addiction impacting them into adulthood. For parents and caregivers, addressing the dangers of vaping can be a daunting task.

Caregivers are encouraged to take the following steps to set their families up for success:

  • Set a good example: Be tobacco-free, ensuring your child is not exposed to secondhand smoke or aerosol from tobacco products, including vaping. If you use tobacco, it’s never too late to quit. For free help, visit CDC.gov/Quit
  • Know the facts: Gather credible information before the conversation. Ask your child’s health care provider for information about the risks of vaping. Find information at CDC.gov/Vaping. Talk to your child about why vaping is harmful: Ask them to stayaway from all tobacco products, including vape products, because none are safe. It’s never too early or too late to start these conversations. Be sure to create a safe space. Be patient and listen, avoid criticism, remain open and flexible as your children get older, and keep in mind the goal of having a conversation, not a lecture.
  • If your child vapes, encourage and support them to quit: Talk to their health care provider about getting help to quit. You can also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW and visitTeens.smokefree.gov for more help.

The DLC prevention and education team facilitates youth mental health first aid, an evidence-based training program that equips everyone in the community with the skills they need to identify and address concerns related to behavioral health.

To learn more about the work DLC is doing to provide lifesaving and life-changing behavioral health care to those in need, visit DLCenters.org

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