Health officials are urging parents to watch for signs that their children are vaping amid a vaping epidemic among teenagers.
Because vaping devices smell tasteless or harmless, they are harder to detect than traditional cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages parents to look for behavioral changes and physical symptoms instead.
In a series of videos shared on YouTube and Twitter, the agency says a dry cough, poor school grades and memory loss can be signs of nicotine addiction.
FDA doctors also say parents should watch out for devices that look like USB flash drives or other electronic devices, and stay on top of the latest brand names like Juul and Puff Bar.
Dr. Susan Walley (left), chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Tobacco Control, said parents should be “open-minded” when discussing vaping with their children. Dr. Deepa Camenda (right), a professor of emergency medicine at Yale, warns that children can experience withdrawal symptoms at school.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed earlier this year that more than 2.6 million American teenagers use vapes, which is one in five.
Although e-cigarettes were originally thought to be a safer way to quit smoking, studies are increasingly showing that e-cigarettes can cause serious lung and heart damage similar to traditional tobacco products.
The three FDA videos were originally uploaded a year ago, but were reposted on social media channels this week.
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The e-cigarette maker has been accused of addicting a generation of Americans to nicotine.
In the first video, Dr. Deepa Camenda, professor of emergency medicine at Yale, and Dr. Susan Walley, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Tobacco Control, tells parents about the resources available to help a child quit smoking.
They urge parents to encourage their children to talk to a pediatrician in a “safe space.”
“One of the most important things is to ask your child to be open and honest. Not judging – which I know as a parent can sometimes be difficult,” said Dr. Wally
In the second video, titled “How to Identify the Signs of Youth Vaping and Nicotine Addiction,” the pair warn that vaping can be easily hidden from parents because it doesn’t have very obvious signs like cigarette smoking.
“Vaping is something that was not easy to imagine at the time,” said Walley.
She warns that a child who is secretive, aggressive and angry all the time may experience cravings or withdrawal symptoms.
Poor performance in school can also be a sign of vaping, say the experts.
Teens who vape may also wheeze frequently, tire more easily when they’re physically active, or develop a new and persistent dry cough.
The video also tells parents what forms of vapors can occur and even warns parents to be suspicious of a teenager carrying a USB device – the same shape as the popular Juul devices that many teenagers use.
More than 2.5 million American children use e-cigarettes – half a million more than in the previous year and a reversal of the downward trend of the past year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 2.55 million Americans in middle school or high school admit to using the device in the past 30 days. That’s a jump of 500,000, or 24 percent, from 2021.
The FDA experts warn that vapes come in many shapes and sizes, such as: B. A USB stick or a conventional cigarette
While the FDA’s videos may seem bizarre, teen nicotine use in America has reached epidemic status, some experts warn.
In October, the CDC announced that teen vaping in 2022 rose for the first time since 2019 — with 2.55 million teens reporting using the device in the past 30 days.
In 2021, only 2.06 million teenagers reported it.
Officials blamed the fruit, mint and candy flavors of vapes for attracting younger users to the devices.
As a result, the FDA has cracked down on flavored nicotine products.
The agency now requires any business it wants to sell in America to specifically register to do so – while also having a written plan to ensure their product is not marketed to young users.
Under this new policy, the popular vape brand Juul – which has been accused of ushering in a new era in nicotine use – could soon be pulled from US shelves.
The Washington DC-based company appealed the decision and is allowed to continue selling flavored products while the application is reviewed.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
