Many young people know about the health risks associated with cigarette smoking and have seen or heard the warnings. But ask a young person about vaping or e-cigarettes, and the response will be very different. Teens are often unsure if there is nicotine in what they are vaping. Many parents may also be unaware of the contents of e-cigarettes, thinking these products are harmless since they are often sold in flavors such as bubble gum and mango.

Misinformation abounds about vaping or e-cigarettes, and it concerns and worries me, both as the state’s chief physician and as the mother of two children. The fact is that vape pens and e-cigarettes are not safe for youth and young adults. They contain nicotine and other chemicals and are not yet fully regulated by the FDA.

Originally designed for adult smokers as a complete substitute for cigarettes, the devices are being marketed, often on popular social media sites, directly to young people. And the devices are more available than ever. They can be found in convenience stores near schools, at gas stations, bodegas, and online. They are inexpensive and, even worse, are packaged in large part to appeal to young people. The fruit and candy flavors are purposefully designed to be especially enticing to children.

These products are far from harmless: the nicotine they contain is a highly addictive chemical that can harm brain development. The brain continues to develop through age 25. The harm that nicotine does primarily affects the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control.

Not only are vapes and e-cigarettes unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults, but according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2018 Advisory out this week, the nicotine in e-cigarettes and other tobacco products can also increase the risk for addiction to other drugs.

And yet, vaping is not only on the rise in our state and others; it is becoming a national public health epidemic.

According to the annual "Monitoring the Future" study released this week and funded by the National Institutes of Health, use of nicotine vaping products in the past month nearly doubled among high school seniors from 11 percent in 2017 to 21 percent this year. Among eighth graders, 11 percent reported using vaping products that contained nicotine in the past year.

Closer to home, our 2017 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and Public Health, nearly half of Massachusetts high-school students say they’ve tried e-cigarettes and nearly a quarter say they currently use the devices. The bathroom at some schools is reportedly nicknamed the “JUUL room,” after a vaping product.

This should concern all of us. It concerned our state lawmakers and Governor Baker enough to enact legislation this year making Massachusetts the sixth state in the nation to increase the age of sale for all tobacco products from 18 to 21 across the state. Effective December 31st the new Massachusetts 2018 Tobacco 21 law prohibits the sale of tobacco products, Including electronic cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes or similar products and cigarette rolling papers to anyone under age 21, and the use of any tobacco product on public or private school grounds or at school-sponsored events;

At the same time, our department of public health has launched a statewide public information campaign educating adults about the dangers of vape pens and e-cigarettes. The messages are on MBTA lines, billboards and social media. We’ve also created posters and a toolkit for schools and community organizations available on our website, getoutraged.org.

We know these steps will reduce the sale and purchase of vaping products and cut into teen usage rates and we aim to strengthen our efforts even more in 2019.

I care about the health of my children and yours. Talk to your kids about vaping so they understand that buying a device is illegal and using one is unsafe and unhealthy.

Dr. Monica Bharel is commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.



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