A high school in Boerne Independent School District is taking extra steps to crack down on “stealth vaping.” The school removed hallway doors leading into restrooms, which was a favorite place for students to sneak a vape.
Officials at Samuel V. Champion High School said this move comes amid an uptick of reports of students vaping on school grounds. The district has zero-tolerance for vaping. Use of any vapes or e-cigarettes violates BISD's Student Code of Conduct.
Vaping in secret is getting easier these days due largely to the trend of “stealth vaping.” Some manufacturers are now producing e-cigarettes that appear like harmless everyday products such as USB drives, pens, and candy containers. The stealth-vape devices also emit low levels of vapor and odor. There are also numerous videos on YouTube that instruct young users on how to vape discreetly in class and school bathrooms and at home.
Researchers have also found videos on YouTube that instruct people on how to “hack” e-cigarettes, in which users modify their devices in potentially dangerous ways. These modifications include refilling non-refillable devices, recharging disposable pods, and mixing nicotine with cannabis liquids.
As many as four out of every 10 teenagers and young adults who vape are modifying their e-cigarettes in ways that could expose them to burns, lung injury, and covert use of marijuana, a team of Yale Department of Psychiatry scientists found.
Hacking or using e-cigarettes in ways other than their intended purpose is putting young people at an even greater risk, according to researchers.
In December 2018, then-U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams declared youth vaping an epidemic. Since then, youth e-cigarette use has hit its lowest point in a decade. But today, 1.6 million middle and high school students nationwide (5.9%), including 410,000 as young as 11 to 14 years old (3.5%), are still using these products.
Social media is in part to blame. Studies have shown adolescents who see tobacco-related content on social media channels are significantly more susceptible to start vaping than peers who did not come across these advertisements. Researchers are investigating how the tobacco industry is using social media to promote vaping to teens and developing interventions for deterring e-cigarette use.
E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that deliver substances such as nicotine in an aerosol form instead of smoke. Manufacturers originally created the vaping devices as a purported safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. Indeed, e-cigarettes contain fewer harmful chemicals than combustible ones. But that doesn’t mean vaping is without considerable harm.
Individuals who vape are exposing their lungs to an aerosol composed of many suspended potentially harmful particles, clinicians say. The active ingredient in most vaping devices is nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that is especially detrimental to teens’ developing brains. Many e-cigarettes also contain alcohol—sometimes in high levels—which can have toxic effects on the brain if inhaled. They may also contain metallic particles including chromium, cadmium, and lead from the heating coil, which can be harmful to the lungs, brain, and other vital organs.
Delaney Ruston, M.D., has investigated the world of teens, vaping, and the cunning tactics e-cigarette companies use on social media. She has covered the health hazards of vaping, examined how influencers glamorize it, and has helped expose deceptive marketing strategies. Ruston has produced the documentary “Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age.” The films sheds light on the dangers of vaping and the industry's slick ploys to lure young people.
Guest:
Delaney Ruston, M.D. is a filmmaker, author, and Stanford-trained physician with 25 years of experience creating award-winning documentaries focused on social change, especially around mental health. Her recent award-winning films include Screenagers, which explores solutions for healthy screen time.
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