Daily Archives: February 16, 2024

SIOUX CITY Siouxland District Health Department is using a new curriculum to educate Siouxland's youth about the harmful effects of tobacco use and vaping.

"You, Me, Together Vape Free," a Stanford University evidence-based curriculum, features interactive lessons that teach elementary, middle and high school students about how vaping impacts their health.

Anais Mares, Siouxland District Health Department's health promotion specialist and tobacco prevention coordinator, said the curriculum makes students aware of the strategies manufacturers and sellers of vaping products use to target young people, as well as teaches important skills that can be used to refuse e-cigarettes when they are offered.

"Ultimately, it was created to reduce and prevent the use of any type of vaping, including nicotine, THC and other harder drugs among kids and youth," Mares said.

A high school principal displays vaping devices April 10, 2018, that were confiscated from students in such places as restrooms or hallways at

According to the FDA's 2023 National Youth Survey, tobacco and vape use has decreased among high school students from 16.5% in 2022 to 12.6% in 2023. However, 2.8 million youth currently use any tobacco product. Tobacco/vape use among middle school students has increased from 4.5% in 2022 to 6.6% in 2023.

"Normally, in Woodbury County, our vaping rates are higher than Iowa overall," Mares said. "Nationally, we're seeing a downward trend, which is good."

Mares said youth are introduced to vaping through various means, including friends, family members and social media. Although Mares said the long-term effects of vaping on the body are unknown, she said it's not harmless.

"We don't have really a lot of data to say, 'If you vape, this is going to happen to you.' We do know that nicotine affects the way the brain continues to develop. So, it will affect brain development in teens and young adults," she said. "Nicotine is linked to cardiovascular disease. The biggest problem, though, is that nicotine is an extremely addictive substance. With its high addictiveness, it can lead to other nicotine use, like cigarettes, which we know can cause cancer and all of these other issues."

Mares has presented the curriculum to youth groups, including Girls Inc. She said student response to the curriculum has been positive.

"It's a very interactive course, so they'll get a chance to answer a bunch of questions, do some activities. It's very hands-on. I think that makes a huge difference with how kids and teens sometimes learn," she said. "I think the way it's presented at their level just helps them better understand what's going on and why these products are harmful to use at such a young age."

If you would like to offer this curriculum to youth or want additional information, contact Mares at 712-279-6119 or amares@siouxlanddistricthealth.org.

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Siouxland District Health offers new vaping prevention curriculum for youth - Sioux City Journal

Most Americans understand that smoking is harmful. It remains a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. A growing number of Americans does not understand that vaping and non-combustible tobacco products are far less risky. In a recent article, Jacob James Rich and I explored why this might be.

One source of public misunderstanding could be that doctors are often unaware of the extensive research concluding that vaping, while not risk-free, is substantially less risky than smoking (such that were all smokers to switch to vaping, tens of thousandsif not millionsof premature deaths could be averted). While reports by the National Academy of Sciences and Public Health UK (among others) have concluded that vaping exposes users to significantly lower contaminant levels and is likely to be substantially less harmful than smoking, one recent study found that 60 percent of doctors believe all forms of tobacco are equally harmful.

While some medical professionals are simply unaware of what can be said about the relative risks of smoking versus vaping, others seem intent on spreading disinformation. For instance, here's a TikTok by a cardiovascular surgeon claiming that vaping "is significantly worse than cigarette smoking." This is an outrageous and unfounded claim. Worse, insofar as this message is internalized by current smokers, it could discourage them from switching to less harmful sources of nicotine.

[Note: Even if this claim is based upon experience with EVALI victims, suggesting that EVALI is a consequence of vaping generally, when EVALI has been linked to black-market THC vaping fluids containing vitamin E acetate, is still quite irresponsible. There is no documented case of EVALI that has been linked to conventional vaping products.]

It is one thing to discourage vaping, as it is not risk-free (and there is limited evidence about its long term effects). It is quite another to suggest that vaping is equal or worse than smoking.The latter is misinformationand the sort of misinformation that could cost lives.

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When Doctors Are the Source of Public Health Misinformation - Reason

AP Photo/Steven Senne In this April 10, 2018, file photo, a high school principal displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in such places as restrooms or hallways at the school in Massachusetts. Recent research has shown that all methods of vaping introduce toxins into the lungs.

By Gina Williams

Standard Democrat

SIKESTON While some people try to avoid inhaling potentially toxic aerosols,many teenagers and young adults today are intentionally bathing their lungs in dangerous chemicals.

Brenda Freed, health educator with the Scott County Health Department in Sikeston, said when vapes and e-cigarettes first became popular, many believed they were harmless.

When the e-cigarettes first came out, the advertisements led you to believe that it was just water vapor, that it was a harmless way to smoke, Freed recalled.

According to Freed, recent research has shown that all methods of vaping introduce toxins into the lungs.

Vaping, however, has not been around for as long as cigarettes have, so we dont know the full effect of vaping compared to cigarettes, but we do know that any chemical that is inhaled and goes into the lungs does damage to the lungs, Freed said.

Freed said if the lungs are damaged, it can lead to a variety of lung difficulties, including lung disease and even cancer.

According to Freed, one of the specific lung diseases is emphysema, which is a type of lung disease that causes breathing difficulty and is typically caused by vaping or smoking.

Freed said while there is no cure for emphysema, the condition can be managed with drugs and lifestyle changes.

Other vaping statistics that many people are unaware of include the fact that one vaping Juul pod pack is equivalent to 20 cigarettes, as well as the fact that nicotine is found in 99% of all e-cigarette products available in the US.

Fifty-one percent of teenagers think that it is only flavored water, and advertisements started out as gearing toward kids, Freed said. Another alarming statistic is that 41% of United States teens have tried vaping and out of those 41% of teens, 31% of them do other drugs such as marijuana. Its a gateway drug.

According to Freed, the big myth was that vaping was innocent but now they know that it is dangerous, yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate vaping devices.

So that tells us that we dont always know what is contained in them, Freed added. So its not being carefully studied, which is a problem.

Freed also debunked the idea that vaping is a safe way to quit smoking, but Freed said both are, in fact, harmful.

According to Freed, there are numerous strategies to quit smoking and vaping.

Whether youre smoking or vaping, you need to make a plan, Freed said.

Freed said there is a 1-800 QUIT NOW quit smoking program and there are also online programs.

For teens who would like to quit smoking or vaping, visit https://mo.mylifemyquit.org/ or text Start My Quit to 36072

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Local public health educator discusses dangers of vaping - Standard-Democrat

Recently, the Biden Administration put a regulation on hold by the Food and Drug Administration, which would ban menthol in all cigarettes and cigars. As a 16-year-old high school student, it has taken the FDA my entire lifetime to determine menthol cigarettes are dangerous; enacted only after several lawsuitsasserting menthol cigarettes as a tool to quit smokingrigorous scientific evaluation and public statements by Big Tobacco. The standard would reduce the appeal of cigarettes, particularly to youth, and decrease the likelihood that non-users who would otherwise experiment with menthol cigarettes, would progress to regular cigarettes, according to an FDA report. The report highlights dissociating menthol from cigarettes would reduce the temptation of these products to kids my age. The regulation would ban menthol flavoring, originally excluded from the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which outlawed most flavors.

Flavors facilitate addiction, especially for youth. Additionally, menthol use is pervasive across all high school friend groups. Some bow to peer pressure, while others use it to calm anxiety. A highschooler finds a birthday cake flavored vape more appealing than a standard, unflavored vape.

Menthol is no exception. This flavoring changes the way the brain registers pain and taste sensations. It is particularly enticing to kids my age: In 2023, 40.4% of middle and high school cigarette smokers used menthol flavors, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Supported by the increased marketing to those under 18, menthol cigarettes are a gateway to lifelong addiction.

According to the American Lung Association, 87% of adult smokers began in their teens.

Instead of just delaying a public health intervention, which could save millions of lives, the current federal administration should implement and expand this prohibition on menthol to vape products.

The use of menthol flavoring in e-cigarettes in teens rose from 16% in 2016 to 57.3% in 2019. Although high school vaping rates declined in 2023, from 14% to 10%, 1 out of 4 of these students report daily use, a precursor to addiction. In order to make a more significant public health impact, the current regulations surrounding combustible cigarettes should also include e-cigarettes.

Last year, New York State increased the tax on a pack of combustible cigarettes by $1 but failed to take any action against menthol-flavored cigarettes. While federal action is halted, New York State should feel increased urgency to prohibit the sale of menthol flavor cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The delay in prohibiting menthol in cigarettes and cigars raises concerns about the impact on youth addiction. The evidence suggests that prohibiting menthol would decrease youth tobacco use, presenting an opportunity to make a substantial public health intervention to prevent lifelong addiction.

Sajan Shah is a Syosset High School student and a member of the Tobacco Kills NY Coalition.

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Shah: Federal menthol flavoring ban could help reduce teen vaping & tobacco use - Long Island Business News

OPINION:

One lasting effect of the pandemic is a deep mistrust of what Washington says about public health.

Thats why it is even more absurd that the government now wants to wade back into the vaping issue. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, wants to reopen the debate about not only vaping, but also ZYN which, like vaping, is a smoking cessation product. Mr. Schumer asserts that ZYN is being marketed to teens, a catchall excuse often made when the government wants to infringe on our freedoms.

For now, Mr. Schumers call is for investigations of ZYN and similar products by the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. But following close behind will be calls for legislation so Congress can again advise us on how best to quit smoking.

Smoking kills 480,000 people a year and adds billions to U.S. health care costs. Research has established that vaping is among the most effective smoking cessation tools available.

Dr. Robert J. Shmerling, senior faculty editor of Harvard Health Publishing, wrote on Oct. 28, 2021, An analysis of 61 studies found that e-cigarette use was more effective than other approaches to quitting smoking. The study authors estimated that out of every 100 people who tried to quit smoking by vaping, nine to 14 might be successful. When using only other methods, such as nicotine patches or behavioral counseling, only four to seven smokers out of 100 might quit.

Research supports the idea that vaping, menthol cigarettes, and the newer nicotine pouches will help people get off smoking cigarettes.

So were on a path where Mr. Schumer will pose as the savior of the lungs of Americas youth. But he will be doing something pretty close to the opposite. Americans understand that children hooked on smoking will damage themselves and their children and drive up health care costs for all of us for decades unless we help them kick the habit.

Are vaping and ZYN the only ways to do this? No. But they are among the most effective methods for quitting smoking, which most would see as a societal good. The argument for government protecting us from these products is exceedingly thin.

If Mr. Schumer or others can make the argument that these products are more dangerous than smoking or do not work as cessation products, then they should do so. Win hearts with the commitment to be correct about what these products do and the threats they pose relative to decades of cigarette smoking, which we know is dangerous to our health. Win minds with solid evidence that the products smoking cessation claims are inflated.

But no more mandates from the people who made us stand 6 feet apart, and show our papers to fly or ride trains. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Alabama, is on to Mr. Schumers game. Mr. Tuberville said Mr. Schumer also plans to go after menthol cigarettes because he knows more about the choices Americans should make than they do.

So is Sen. J.D. Vance, Ohio Republican, who says with the crisis at the border, wars overseas, a struggling economy and a battle over appropriations, this might not be the time to devote all their energies to regulating the personal choices of Americans. Rep. Richard Hudson, New York Republican, branded Mr. Schumer Big Brother and posted a picture of himself in hunting gear, daring anybody to come and take it.

These members of Congress are telling us that Americans dont want or need Congress weighing in on this issue, especially with so many other issues demanding their attention.

It should also be pointed out that Mr. Schumer and his allies dont object to vaping when marijuana is involved. Only those who are trying to quit smoking are targeted by his efforts, which makes the whole protect the children argument even more suspicious.

Not many responsible adults want children to smoke, vape, or otherwise use marijuana. But many do get hooked on cigarettes, and vaping and ZYN and similar products are among the most effective ways to beat that addiction.

Also, Mr. Schumer is no expert on health. He backed all the most stringent COVID-19 restrictions, and his state was the worst when it came to locking down citizens unnecessarily.

This is no time for him to wade into debates on subjects he knows little about.

Brian McNicoll is a conservative columnist and freelance writer based in Alexandria, Virginia. He is a former senior writer for The Heritage Foundation and former director of communications for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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Schumer and anti-vaping zealots should stand down - Washington Times

ANNA, Ill. (KBSI) Vaping is a fast-growing health concern especially among teens.

Sydney Shelton with the Southern 7 Health Department says young adults are the target demographic for these products.

The brain is still developing when youre at that young age, so its just harmful for the brain in that way, cause your brain doesnt stop developing until youre 25, said Shelton.

Shelton shares that S7HD heads a program for young adults to learn about the dangers of vaping.

Thats just a curriculum that we go in and show them this is what vapes are, make sure to stay away from them, she said. We also go into the tobacco, big tobacco, and how they advertise to a single population, that cant make conscience decisions.

Recently the health department started a new podcast called The Southern Seven Podcast.

Shawna Rhine is S7HDs community outreach coordinator.

Its designed to talk to people about what they can do to stop vaping in their home and in their life, said Rhine. Its not meant to degrade, or undermine anybody, but its just an opportunity to get some information, so you can share it with others.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2.5 million youth were reported to have used e-cigarettes in 2022. E-cigarette use is down in U.S. high school students in 2023, but Rhine says they are seeing use of e-cigarettes increase in teens in the S7HD regions.

Again seeing an increase in teens in our region who are vaping more and more, it is something that our schools are concerned about, she said. Family members are concerned about but with it becoming more prevalent, in our region we just want people to know all the facts and have all the information about it.

Rhine adds that it is not something that is designed to replace smoking, but just another form of smoking.

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Southern 7 Health Department seeing increase in teen vaping - KBSI Fox 23 Cape Girardeau News - KBSI Fox 23 Cape Girardeau News | Paducah News

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Abilene ISD recently sent out a letter to parents, informing them about a surge in vaping across its campuses. This comes less than six months after House Bill 114 was passed, requiring public schools to remove any student from class who is caught with ane-cigarette. In the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year, AISD reported that there have already been hundreds of vape-related incidents.

Abilene ISD adopts new disciplinary plan for students caught vaping

Alison Camp, executive director of Abilene ISD student services, told KTAB/KRBC students vaping continues to be a massive problem across the nation, Were seeing vapes with all ages; middle school and high school We want parents to realize that these vapes are easy for kids to get, and they are- theyre dangerous.

In a 2017 study by the CDC, 2.4 million middle and high school students were reportedly regular users of e-cigarettes. Both the CDC and AISD attribute the heightened usage to marketing tactics. By 2014, the CDC said 18 million US middle and high school youth were exposed to e-cigarette ads.

They tend to kind of mimic the candy wrappers and they put fun flavors in them, explained Camp, and so they really market to kids.

Abilene ISD highlights hazards of vaping as district sees surge in e-cigarette use

Abilene ISD reported 158 THC vapes and 181 nicotine vapes, for a total of 339 total incidents of students with e-cigarettes on campus just this school year.

What they dont understand is some of these vapes have THC, and it is illegal. Its a felony. So, even being in possession- even if its not theirs, can be a bad thing, Camp said.

Medical director with the Taylor County public health district, Dr. Gary Holland, told KTAB/KRBC nicotine in vapes can be very addicting no matter the age, The amount of nicotine actually in those units can be as much as a pack of cigarettes if you use the whole unit.

Dr. Holland continued to list the negative effects of regular use of nicotine which includes brain development and chemicals that are harmful to the lungs.

Neurological system effects like inability to concentrate, inattention, you know, trouble learning, listed Dr. Holland, and so, the young persons brain is more subjectable to injury, so theres a lot of concern.

Abilene ISD to allow chaplains to volunteer in schools

The American Lung Association lists some of the ingredients found in a nicotine vape:

Nicotine a highly addictive substance that negatively affects adolescent brain development

Propylene glycol a common additive in food; also used to make things like antifreeze, paint solvent, and artificial smoke in fog machines

Carcinogens- chemicals known to cause cancer, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde

Acrolein a herbicide primarily used to kill weeds, can cause irreversible lung damage

Diacetyl a chemical linked to a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans aka popcorn lung

Diethylene glycol a toxic chemical used in antifreeze that is linked to lung disease

Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, lead

Cadmium a toxic metal found in traditional cigarettes that causes breathing problems and disease

Benzene avolatile organic compound (VOC)found in car exhaust

Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs

Whats more is the look of vapes change all the time. Many parents and teachers wont realize what is in their students hand. The CDC has a comprehensive dictionary on the matter.

Abilene, Wylie ISDs talk bond package updates in 2024 State of the City address

To tackle the issue, Abilene ISD said the school system is working to teach students the risks associated with vaping.

Parents can help. They are the first teachers, Camp urged.

Abilene ISD students and parents can submit concerns to its online forum called Speak Up. Speak Up encourages students and staff to report bullying, personal health concerns, inappropriate behavior, crisis at home, and vaping.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.

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Abilene ISD reports surge in on-campus vaping, 150+ THC incidents - Yahoo News

As a physician, chairman at-large of the Prince William County School Board and chairman of the University of Virginia Health System Board, I am deeply committed to the health and well-being of Virginia's youth. I urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to intensify its efforts in curbing the sale of illegal, flavored disposable e-cigarettes to children, a pressing issue that demands immediate attention. Youth vaping has evolved into a pervasive problem, evident in school bathrooms where discarded disposable e-cigarettes, not cigarette butts, are routinely discovered.

I have seen the damage firsthand. Students well known to me have been seduced by flavored e-cigarette products, have become addicted to vaping tobacco and then drugs like fentanyl.

I have seen this addiction wreak havoc on families and result in student deaths from overdosing on drugs they vaped. Parents, teachers and communities are facing the growing, uncontrolled spread of students vaping products that are either unsafe, unregulated or illicit.

Many of these children were attracted to this habit by flavored tobacco products marketed toward them. These addictions do not discriminate and are seen in every school and among younger and younger students across the commonwealth every year.

A 2020 federal rule fell short by only applying to pod-based e-cigarettes, allowing disposable e-cigarette makers to flood the market with flavored products designed to entice children. Since 2020, the number of unique disposable products has surged by an alarming 1,500%, resulting in nearly 6,000 products illegally sold in various kid-friendly flavors, easily accessible in stores.

The link between flavors and the rise in youth smoking is unmistakable. Fruity and sweet flavors like Tyson Vape Lush Lime, Hulk Hogan Hulkmania Cotton Candy and Death Row by Snoop Dogg Blue Razz dominate disposable vape offerings, playing a crucial role in the popularity of these products among youth. A study involving middle and high school students revealed that 43% of young e-cigarette users tried them because of appealing flavors

If we are to make a meaningful impact on youth vaping rates, we must address this issue at its core. A recent study by the Center for Tobacco Research at Ohio State Universitys Wexner Medical Center demonstrated that if sweet flavors were banned, 39% of respondents aged 14 to 21 who used e-cigarettes daily would cease using them. This figure skyrocketed to a staggering 71% if only tobacco-flavored options remained, emphasizing the urgent need for a ban on these perilous products.

These flavored disposable e-cigarettes are not just enticing; they pose serious health risks to our children. When a child picks up a disposable e-cigarette, they unknowingly expose themselves to more nicotine than an entire carton of cigarettes.

Designed to be highly addictive, with some products offering over 5,000 puffs, children are inadvertently causing damage to their lungs, hearts and brains. While the ban on traditional flavored e-cigarettes was a commendable step forward, the loophole allowing the sale of flavored disposable products must be closed.

Each day, these products trap kids in the cycle of nicotine addiction, jeopardizing their health and future. I implore the FDA to take swift and resolute action to protect our youth and ensure a healthier future for generations to come. This effort will go far beyond slowing tobacco vaping by also helping close the gateway to other harmful substances and drugs.

We cannot look back at this time and say we shouldve done more to stop this epidemic of tobacco and drugs. We cannot wait for more research to be done. The current research is crystal clear. The time to act is now.

Dr. Babur Lateef is chair at-large of the Prince William County School Board and chair of the University of Virginia Health System Board, where he is a member of the Board of Visitors. Contact him at bblateef@gmail.com.

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Commentary: Flavored tobacco is fueling youth addition - Roanoke Times