Madison City Schools fighting growing problem of vaping with workshop for parents

MADISON – The Madison City School District is teaming up with the Partnership for a Drug-Free Community to bring awareness to a growing problem. On Tuesday, April 30, they will host “Clearing the Smoke: Facts about E-cigs – A Workshop for Parents”. It will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Madison City Hall, 100 Hughes Road, Madison.

“It is an issue we want to help parents know more about,” said Dr. David West, Safety, Security, and Emergency Management Coordinator for Madison City Schools, “We have seen an increase of vaping instances in the area schools. It is something we are aggressively fighting.”

What are electronic cigarettes?
Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, e-vaporizers, or electronic nicotine delivery systems, are battery-operated devices that people use to inhale an aerosol, which typically contains nicotine (though not always), flavorings, and other chemicals. They can resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes (cig-a-likes), cigars, or pipes, or even everyday items like pens or USB memory sticks.

Other devices, such as those with fillable tanks, may look different. Regardless of their design and appearance, these devices generally operate in a similar manner and are made of similar components.
More than 460 different e-cigarette brands are currently on the market. Some common nicknames for e-cigarettes are e-cigs, e-hookahs, hookah pens, vapes, vape pens, and mods.

“There’s a lot of misinformation and just plain ignorance surrounding e-cigarettes,” said Ann Marie Martin with the Partnership for a Drug-Free Community. “Before Juuls and other high-tech-looking e-cig brands hit the news, many teachers and parents didn’t even recognize them as electronic nicotine delivery devices. Of course, most students do recognize them – whether they are using them or not.”

Martin said the initial results from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey were released on Nov. 15, 2018, and showed a dramatic increase in e-cigarette use among youth over the past year. Here are some highlights:

• “The number of U.S. high school students who reported being current e-cigarette users increased 78 percent between 2017 and 2018 to 3.05 million (or 20.8 percent).”

• “Numbers among middle school students rose 48 percent to 570,000 (or 4.9 percent).”

• “The study authors suggest the rise in e-cigarette use in the last year is likely due to the recent popularity of certain types of e-cigarettes, such as JUUL. These products include ones that are cartridge-based, can be used discreetly because of their resemblance to slim USB flash drives, have a high nicotine content and come in appealing fruit and candy flavors.”

• “The increased popularity of e-cigarettes among youth raises a number of other health concerns: risk of addiction to nicotine early on in life; potential harm from nicotine exposure to the developing adolescent brain; and exposure to chemicals associated with adverse health effects.”

• “In addition, research shows that, compared with non-users, youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to transition to conventional cigarettes ‒ risking a lifetime of addiction to smoking and resulting smoking-attributable disease.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services define and describe e-cigarettes and discuss their health risks on this website:
www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/electronic-cigarettes-e-cigarettes

Health Effects for Teens
The teen years are critical for brain development, which continues into young adulthood. Young people who use nicotine products in any form, including e-cigarettes, are uniquely at risk for long-lasting effects. Because nicotine affects the development of the brain’s reward system, continued e-cigarette use can not only lead to nicotine addiction, but it also can make other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine more pleasurable to a teen’s developing brain.

Nicotine also affects the development of brain circuits that control attention and learning. Other risks include mood disorders and permanent problems with impulse control—failure to fight an urge or impulse that may harm oneself or others.