Governor Signs Vaping Epidemic Executive Order
“With mysterious lung illnesses and deaths on the rise, we have to educate our kids and do everything we can to tackle this crisis.”
— Governor Newsom
A recent sudden lung illness outbreak
from vaping has affected more than a
thousand people; the youngest is 13.
Teens are nearly 7x more likely
to vape nicotine than adults.
4 out of 5 kids who vape nicotine use flavors
National Institutes of HealthKids 15-17 years old are
16x more likely to use
Juul than older groups
Kids report vaping
as early as 12 years old
In The News
The Atlantic
Vaping’s plausible deniability is going up in smoke
Vaping’s plausible deniability is going up in smoke
View article
NBC News
What is in a vape? Everything you need to know
What is in a vape? Everything you need to know
View article
CNN
After vaping-related illness, teen now has lungs like 'a 70-year-old's'
After vaping-related illness, teen now has lungs like 'a 70-year-old's'
View article
Insider
Medical scans show the damage vaping could do to your body, including blisters and lung collapse
Medical scans show the damage vaping could do to your body, including blisters and lung collapse
View article
PBS
What are symptoms of vaping-related lung disease? Answers to your e-cigarette questions
What are symptoms of vaping-related lung disease? Answers to your e-cigarette questions
View article
NICOTINE = BRAIN POISON
Flavors mask the harsh taste of tobacco which makes it easier for kids to smoke — and most kids don’t know that flavored e-cigarettes are high in nicotine.
Flavors
The tobacco industry is hooking the next generation of addicts, and flavors are a big way in. Four out of five kids who have used tobacco started with a flavored product.
Those numbers suggest that most underaged users might never have tried vaping if tobacco tasted like tobacco. From Juul’s popular mango to thousands of options available for Suorin and other open systems, flavors hook kids on a drug known to be as addictive as heroin.
Nicotine
The rise in teen vaping is finally news. But we need to know more about kids’ consumption of nicotine, such as how high the doses, and how great the risks.
Modern devices can have up to 6x the nicotine concentration of first generation e-cigs, putting kids at risk of not only a nicotine addiction, but substance addiction of all kinds.
Poison
Nicotine is one of the most toxic of all poisons. It can rewire the brain, particularly vulnerable in the developing years, from adolescence to mid-twenties. In what ways?
Nicotine changes the teen brain and affects attention, learning, and memory. It can worsen stressors already challenging in adolescence:
- Impulsivity
- Learning difficulties
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
But unlike other adolescent phases, changes to the brain from nicotine can be permanent.
HOW TO IDENTIFY FLAVORED PRODUCTS
Know what to look for. Vaping products have become almost unrecognizable. Familiarize yourself with the drug’s new delivery systems. You can’t stop it if you can’t spot it.
Juul
Took 70% of the e-cig market in 3 years.
Known as the iPhone of e-cigs.
Teens 16x more likely to Juul than older groups.
Pods come in 8 flavors.
Juul pods
The 5% pod may contain the nicotine of 20 cigarettes.
Not produced in nicotine-free flavors.
Delivers nicotine up to 2.7x faster than other e-cigs
Closed system, (replaceable pre-filled pods).
Kandypen
Small and sleek design, easily concealed
Used for both nicotine and CBD/THC products.
Open system, (refillable with any e-juice).
Thousands of flavors available.
Vape Pen
Fillable with both dispensary and street THC / CBD.
THC cartridges come in many strains and flavors like Bubble Gum and Strawberry.
Marijuana vaping among youth has increased by 58% in a single year.
Most lung illness outbreak patients reported using THC vapes.
Suorin
Less identifiable than Juul.
Known for its cheap price.
Open system, (refillable with any e-juice).
Thousands of flavors available.
Bo
Caps are twice the volume of Juul pods with similar nicotine concentration.
Uses nicotine salt that delivers high amounts of nicotine while masking the harsh hit.
Closed system, (replaceable pre-filled caps).
Phix
Copycat Juul design, but larger due to increased battery.
Pod is over double the capacity of Juul.
Closed system, (replaceable pre-filled pods).
Comes in 5 flavors.
BlowSauce
Nic salts deliver high nicotine concentrations without the harsh hit.
Used in open system devices like Suorin and Kandypen.
Taste, smell, and package design likely to appeal to kids.
Candy King
Nic salts deliver high nicotine concentrations without the harsh hit.
Used in open system devices like Suorin and Kandypen.
Taste, smell, and package design likely to appeal to kids.
Know The Signs
People with lung damage from vaping typically have symptoms that start a few days to a few weeks before they go see a doctor. All people hospitalized developed some type of breathing problems, but many people also have other symptoms. The symptoms reported by those who have gotten sick are:
- Coughing
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Weight loss
For more information on the risks of vaping, read “Vaping Related Lung Illness: A Summary of the Public Health Risks and Recommendations for the Public”
- Are there sweet or fruity smells coming from behind closed doors? That might actually be nicotine hiding in vape flavors.
- Are there school supplies or tech products you don’t recognize in kids’ backpacks or rooms? How about small vials or eye dropper bottles?
- Have you come across unfamiliar chargers, coils, or batteries?
- Have there been changes in your kids’ behavior such as increased mood swings, irritability, anxiety, or impulsivity?
- Are your kids suffering from more frequent headaches or nausea?
While California State Law prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21, kids still manage to get it.
Here are six common ways:
- Vape products are all over social media, and many promote the sale of their products right from their accounts.
- Website age gates are easily bypassed, and kids use a parent’s name for shipping. In fact, kids successfully buy e-cigs online 94% of the time.*
- Clerks at tobacco shops, vape stores, gas stations and convenience stores might not enforce the California Tobacco 21 law, which prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21 years of age.
- Many vape companies have names that wouldn’t raise a red flag on parents’ credit card statements.
- Online orders can be delivered to Amazon lockers in supermarkets or convenience stores.
- Orders can also be shipped to the homes where parent(s) are at work when the mail comes.
- Kids are buying and selling pods, and even single hits, in schools.
START THE CONVERSATION
Here's what Californians are saying about the vaping epidemic.
THE GUIDE
Steps to end the youth epidemic
How to talk to kids
What to do if your teen is addicted
How to get schools on board
Ten quick facts about nicotine and adolescence
Activities to do with teens
Share your story
Comfortable sharing? Jot down your experience with a teen who vapes to help other parents navigate this new territory
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Learn More
Watch our complete video playlist on YouTube or click the articles below for more info.
Identify which Products Teens are Vaping
View article
Nicotine: The Unknown Poison
View article
Truth Initiative Quitting Resource
View site
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