Vaping What Parents Need to Know William Annin Middle School, Bernards Township Public Schools Dr. Bush (SAC, WAMS), Ms. Button (SAC, WAMS), Officer Baldassare (SRO. WAMS), Detective Neiman (SRO, Ridge H.S.) and Karen Hudock (Principal, WAMS)
Objectives ● What is vaping? ● Why adolescents vape ● Risks ● What to look for ● How to respond to your child vaping ● Branchburg Twp. BOE School Policy ● Resources
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What is Vaping? AKA: e-cigs, e-hookah, mods, vape, vape pens, hookah pens, juuling, PHIX ● To inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device ● Originally made to help smokers quit smoking by heating liquid flavors and nicotine or “vaporizing” ● A new form of e-cigs can consume all forms of THC (marijuana) ● Vaporizers can have only flavored juice, flavored juice with nicotine, or flavored juice with THC.
How does it work? ● Most consist of 3 parts: ○ The mouthpiece has a cartridge where nicotine solution is stored. ○ When you inhale, there is a heating element that turns the nicotine solution into a vapor. ○ The battery in the e-cigarette powers the heating element.
Why are adolescents vaping? ● According to the CDC, in the past 30 days… ○ About 4 of every 100 middle school students (4.3%) reported that they used electronic cigarettes ○ About 11 of every 100 high school students (11.3%) reported that they used electronic cigarettes ● Common belief that it is safer than cigarettes ● Easy availability, alluring advertisements ● Easy to hide (no smoke, no smell) ● Must be 21 to buy but not always enforced and can buy online
Why Vape??
“For a layperson, we can define vaping as: The act of inhaling water vapor from an e- cig.” ● Deceiving definition ● Not just water!
The Risks of Vaping ● Nicotine is addictive! Increases dopamine in the brain ● Exposing a developing brain to nicotine makes other drugs more pleasurable to a teen’s brain ● Addiction to nicotine often leads to smoking cigarettes ● Exposes the lungs to a variety of chemicals ○ Chemicals in the e-liquids ○ Chemicals produced in the heating/vaporizing process ○ Vapor produces carcinogen and toxic chemicals from the device (nickel, chromium and cadmium) ● Cloud Chasing: a “sport” where vaporizers are manipulated to see who can blow the biggest “cloud,” which can be dangerous
The Risks of Vaping-Harvard Research ● Diacetyl ○ An artificial flavor with a buttery taste ○ Tasty, but linked to deaths and hundreds of cases of bronchiolitis obliterans (a serious and irreversible lung disease) ○ “Popcorn Lung” ○ 39 of 51 e-cigarette brands tested contained diacetyl ● Pentanedione and Acetoin — present in 23 and 46 of the 51 flavors tested. ● Roughly 92% of the e-cigarettes tested had one of the three chemicals present
The Risks of Vaping ● May 5, 2017 ○ FDA will be extending its oversight authority to include e- cigarettes ○ Starting in August, “FDA will begin to apply and enforce key provisions of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act as it relates to the sales, marketing and manufacturing of e- cigarettes.” ○ FOR NOW: e-cigarette products will be allowed to remain on the market for up to THREE YEARS as manufacturers test their products and submit necessary applications to the FDA for review. ● Other unknown and potentially harmful chemicals
• Additional Risks The aerosol in e-cigarettes have ● Respiratory health risks ● ultra fine particles that are E-cigarettes contain aerosol and ● inhaled deep into the lungs nicotine causing further health affects. This affects the brains long term ● development The aerosol is heated along with ● Such as mood disorders ● the contents, such as the flavoring Impulse control ● and chemicals. Attention disorders ●
Nicotine Poisoning Mild: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drooling, weakness More severe: Increased BP and/or heart rate which suddenly drops, slowed breathing, abdominal cramps, agitation/restlessness, burning sensation in mouth, confusion, fainting, headache, muscular twitching, seizure.
Nicotine Addiction ● Nicotine alters the brain’s reward system. ● It stimulates dopamine-producing neurons. This causes more dopamine to be released into the brain. Dopamine is the brain chemical that makes you feel awake and alive. ● Brain cells then begin to produce more nicotine receptors and lower levels of serotonin. This leads to a lower “baseline” feeling of well-being, as well as increased cravings for nicotine, just to feel “normal”. ● Eventually, addiction is more about “avoiding discomfort”. ● Nicotine is one of the hardest addictions to overcome.
Nicotine and the Adolescent Brain ● Adolescents do not have fully developed frontal lobes. ● They are learning to regulate moods and emotions (neurotransmitter levels, estrogen, testosterone). ● Adolescent brain cells are still developing and “wiring” is not complete. ● Adolescent brains are more sensitive to toxins. ● Nicotine seems to make a sizable change to wiring, increasing the need for the chemical to maintain feelings of “normalcy”. ● Higher risk for anxiety, panic attacks, depression.
Therapy for Nicotine Addiction ● Individual therapy (Addiction Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy + Motivational Interviewing: managing cravings, identifying triggers, etc.) ● Coping skills , peer and contextual dynamics ● Family therapy : communication, getting one’s needs met, family roles and responsibilities, family expectations/ rules ● Addressing co-occurring disorders: Anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc.
The Risks of Vaping Illegal Substances ● Marijuana ○ Dry herb ○ Oils ○ Wax ● Synthetics ○ Marijuana-(K2/Spice) ○ Bath Salts ○ Flakka ● Fentanyl Man dies after vaping liquid fentanyl By Joshua Rhett Miller July 3, 2017
The Risks of Vaping Illegal Substances ● Inhaling from a vaporizer enhances a drug user’s high and can amplify a drug’s side effects ● Vaping synthetic drugs is more discreet than other forms of drug abuse
What to look for ● Unfamiliar Objects that may resemble normal, everyday items ○ Pens ○ Lip Gloss/Perfume ○ Thumb drive
What to look for ● Mysterious aroma ● Unfamiliar batteries and ○ Fruity chargers ○ Minty ● Credit/Debit card ○ Sweet/Candy purchases you don’t ● Sensitivity to Caffeine recognize ○ Stop drinking coffee ○ What will show up on ● Increased thirst billing statement? ■ ie: NWT Holdings ● Discarded atomizers Inc.
Branchburg Twp. Policy ● Depending on the circumstances the student could receive a one day or multiple day suspension and demerits ranging from 4-8 ● Meeting or conference with the school counselor ● Police contacted and possible action taken
Reasonable Suspicion - Found in Possession ● Search of students locker ● Parent contacted ● Items turned over to the Branchburg Twp Police
Student Found Under the Influence at School ○ Immediate medical examination shall be conducted and the student will not return without a written medical report submitted to the Principal and the Superindenent ○ Disciplinary action, i.e. suspension and demerits ranging from 4-8
What to do if your child is vaping: ● Talk about it - a lot! ● Increase their perception of risk ● Decrease accessibility ● Challenge the perception that “everyone does it” ● Understand that nicotine addiction occurs rapidly with adolescents, and that your child may need professional help to “quit”.
VRDT: A Good Option Voluntary Random Drug Testing is a free deterrent, which sends a clear message about drug use. ● 10% of 6-8 and 20% of 9-12 grade pool is tested annually ● Tests for amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, MDMA, methadone, methamphetamines, opiates, oxycodone, PCP, propoxyphene, and/or other controlled substances. ● Confirmed positive : parents are notified, student meets with SAC, recommendations for follow-up are made.
Resources: 1. Student Assistance Counselors: WA and RHS 2. Tobacco Quit Center, RWJ-Somerset, 908-685-2902 3. Empower Somerset, 908-722-4900 4. High Focus Centers, 800-877-3628 5. Summit Behavioral Health, 844-643-3869 6. Surgeon General’s Report, 2016 https://e- cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/documents/2016_sgr_full_report_non-508.pdf
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