Harborview Medical Center treated four victims of exploding cigarettes from October
2015 to February 2016. These include a 24-year old man from Cashmere, Washington who
injured his hand and arm, then was rushed to Seattle where he underwent five surgeries
(
-
to-harborview-with-gruesome-injuries/)
Vaping nicotine
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are used to vape nicotine. ENDS are known
by many names, the most popular being e-cigarettes but also, vape pens, vape pipes,
vaporizers, e-devices, e-pens, e-hookahs and hookah pens. E-devices heat a liquid
solution to produce vapor. ENDS contain nicotine, which is fast acting, highly addictive
and the same harmful drug that is in regular cigarettes and other tobacco products.
For the second year in a row in the U.S., e-cigarettes are now used more than regular
cigarettes by youth – both middle and high school students.
• The percent of 10th-graders in Washington state who used an e-cigarette in the
past 30 days increased from about 4 percent in 2012 to 18 percent in 2014 (Healthy
Youth Survey). Eighty-two percent of 10th graders, however, reported not using
e-cigarettes in 2014.
• E-cigarettes may appeal to children and teens because of their high-tech design,
easy availability online or in mall kiosks, and variety of flavor options. Marketers make
these devices seem like they are hip and new. In reality, the marketing companies
are often the same companies that marketed cigarettes to kids for years, seeking to
ensure a continuous market of adults addicted to their products.
• It is illegal to sell an e-cigarette to anyone under 18 years of age in Washington.
However, the online availability of e-cigarettes makes it difficult to enforce this law.
As of May 5, 2016, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) passed a rule that allows
e-cigarettes to be regulated like tobacco products—in effect this allows the FDA to
restrict the sale to minors, have oversight authority on what goes into e-cigarettes
and monitor marketing and import of the product. However, the FDA will NOT be
limiting the flavoring of e-cigarettes, which is a primary draw for youth.
• E-cigarettes have been marketed just the way traditional cigarettes were. For
example, e-cigarette marketing has specifically targeted youth with celebrity
endorsements and flavors like cotton candy and gumballs. Tobacco control
advocates worked to expose these similar strategies for cigarettes and ban use of
gimmicks like Joe Camel because they were specifically aimed at getting kids to
start using tobacco.
10
• Teens view e-cigarettes as safer and more socially acceptable than regular cigarettes.
Teens also say that the main reason they use e-cigarettes is to be able to smoke in
areas where smoking is prohibited without getting caught. Unfortunately, the jury
is still out about whether e-cigarettes are actually safe, and most places that prohibit
smoking also prohibit using e-devices.
• E-cigarette fluid contains fewer chemicals than traditional cigarettes, however they
emit more than water vapor. E-cigarette devices have carcinogenic heavy metals and
toxins, in addition to nicotine. E-cigarettes are not risk free.
• Secondhand vapor from e-cigarettes may also be unsafe. However, the quantity of
these harmful compounds is often less than what is found in conventional
cigarette smoke.
12
• E-cigarettes have not been proven safe or effective by the FDA as a “quit smoking
aid” (cessation device) and it is not known whether e-cigarettes can effectively
help people quit or reduce tobacco smoking. For people who want to quit smoking,
counseling combined with nicotine replacement gum, patch or medication, or
traditional methods such as acupuncture can be effective. For free help to quit
tobacco, call 800.QUIT.NOW (800.784.8669).
• Using e-cigarettes as a teen has been associated with a higher likelihood of
beginning to use conventional cigarettes, even among those teens who never
intended to smoke regular cigarettes, making e-cigarettes a potential gateway drug.
• Nicotine is a chemical that is especially toxic in liquid form. Liquid nicotine (or
“e-juice”) refills pose a particular risk to children and teens.
Tips to prevent e-cigarette poisoning
• Store e-cigarettes and refill products where children cannot see or reach them;
in a locked location is best.
• Use and refill alone. Do not use e-cigarettes around children. Because children want
to imitate adults, using e-cigarettes and refilling them with children nearby could
lead to dangerous exposure.
• Store the national Poison Help Line number (1.800.222.1222) in your cell phone and
post it near any home phones. Call it in case of accidental exposure.
13
Hookahs
Hookahs—sometimes called water pipes—are used to smoke specially made tobacco. The
tobacco, often called shisha, comes in flavors such as cherry and bubble gum, that may
appeal to youth and other people who may not usually consider using tobacco. Hookahs
originated in ancient Persia and India and have been used for centuries. While hookah
smokers may consider this practice less harmful than smoking cigarettes, no tobacco
product is safe. Water pipe smoking delivers the addictive drug nicotine, and hookah
smokers may absorb higher concentrations of the toxins found in cigarette smoke. A
typical hour-long hookah smoking session involves inhaling 100–200 times the volume
of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette. Hookahs are also used to smoke marijuana.
14
What about “synthetic marijuana?”
Synthetic cannabinoids, also known as “Spice,” “K2,” or a number of various other names,
refer to a growing number of man-made, mind-altering chemicals typically sprayed
on dried, shredded plant material. They are sometimes misleadingly called “synthetic
marijuana” (or “fake weed”) because they act on the same brain cell receptors as
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, the mind-altering ingredient in marijuana.
Synthetic marijuana have increased, largely because some people mistakenly believe that
it is “natural” or “safe,” and until recently, a legal alternative to pot. However, this very
unnatural class of marketed designer chemicals can be dangerous. Thousands of teens
and young adults in the U.S., a large majority of whom are male, end up in the ER
with severe symptoms that may include vomiting, racing heartbeat, elevated blood
pressure, seizures or hallucinations. Recently, a teen went into a coma and died from
using Spice.
15
9
Respiratory Effects of Marijuana. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute,
University of Washington. Accessed May 19, 2016
10
Marijuana, Reproduction, and Pregnancy. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington.
Accessed May 17, 2016
11
12
Goniewicz, M. et al. (2013). Levels of selected carcinogens and toxicants in vapour from electronic cigarettes. Tob. Control. 1:1–8.
Available at:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23467656
13
Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
14
World Health Organization. Tobacco Regulation Advisory Note. Water Pipe Tobacco Smoking: Health Effects, Research Needs and Recommended
Actions by Regulators. (PDF–550 KB) Geneva: World Health Organization, Tobacco Free Initiative, 2005
15
/
6
Marijuana and health. Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Accessed May 17, 2016
7
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Marijuana Research Report Series, What is marijuana,
. Accessed May 19, 2016
8
Marijuana and health: A comprehensive review of 20 years of research. KK Repp, PhD, MPH and AL Raich, MS, MPH, October 20, 2014. Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington.
.
Accessed May 19, 2016
Sponsored Newspapers In Education Content
|
3
