The Dangers of Vaping and the Difference Parents Can Make
"The developing brain of a teen is basically rewired when it comes in contact with nicotine." That's according to nationally certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist Robin Geurs. In this episode, she explains the impact vaping has on a teen's body and brain, and how parents can prevent vaping or help teens who already are vaping.
Featured Speaker:
Robin Geurs, CTTS
Robin Geurs is a nationally certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at Children's of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Her focus is with patients and families, providing education, prevention, and treatment for tobacco dependence. In addition to coordinating clinical research activities within the Cystic Fibrosis Center, she serves as an educator with the Alabama Department of Public Health- Birmingham Youth Tobacco Prevention Program, working with local middle and high school students. Transcription:
The Dangers of Vaping and the Difference Parents Can Make
Conan Gasque: Welcome to Inside Pediatrics, a podcast brought to you by Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham. I'm Conan Gasque. Our topic today is vaping. It was declared an epidemic among American youth by US Surgeon General Jerome Adams in 2018. The numbers today remain staggering. According to a study by the FDA and CDC, more than 2 million students reported current use of e-cigarettes in 2021. They're the most popular tobacco product among high school and middle school students today.
Joining us now to talk about this topic is Robin Geurs, certified tobacco treatment specialist in pulmonary and sleep medicine at Children's of Alabama. Robin, thanks so much for your time today.
Robin Geurs: Thank you for having me.
Conan Gasque: So let's talk first about the impact of vaping. We know there are tons and tons of different kinds of chemicals in e-cigarettes. What kind of an impact does e-cigarette use have on the body and mind of a teen or an adolescent who participates in this activity?
Robin Geurs: So we really look at three different areas, the developing brain, the heart, as well as the lungs, all three are really harmed by vaping. The developing brain of a teen is basically rewired when it comes in contact with nicotine. And we can see this in a youth's inability to sleep, concentrate. Just feeling pleasure and associating that with vaping because of the nicotine addiction causes then a youth or a teen to really rearrange sort of their schedules and become addicted, meaning at a time when they should be more independent. They are actually arranging their schedule to when they can vape.
Conan Gasque: They want to have a good feeling over and over.
Robin Geurs: They do. Yes. And then, the other areas that we talked about, the lungs. I mean, I can't say enough about the harmful effects of these e-liquids on the lungs. Heavy metallic chemicals are in the liquids as well as the nicotine. And then, this causes inflammation, sensitivity, increased production of mucus. So users will be coughing, but we also see long-term lung damage caused by vaping. And then, the other effect we said was the brain, lungs and then the heart. Nicotine causes the heart to beat faster, causing stiffening of the arteries as well as just a decreased blood flow.
So all of these things are unfortunately masked in this marketing toward our youth and toward our kids. The harmful effects are just covered up by flavors and scents and this image that it's harmless when in fact the body is really struggling to deal with the harmful effects of these e-juices and vaping.
Conan Gasque: And you talked about the marketing. Do you feel like teens are especially susceptible to vaping and to becoming addicted to vaping because of some of the marketing that's out there?
Robin Geurs: Yes, definitely. And we're seeing that in research. Flavors, more than 15,000 flavors are available in e-juices and now the most popular disposable vaping devices. But marketing on social media, again, making it look cool, trying to appeal to young kids that are maybe stressed, maybe wanting to fit in, which it's really the perfect marketing plan. And it's working when you provide these beautiful flavors, cool-looking devices, devices that can be hidden or discreetly used even in a classroom. And then, also kind of playing to a teen's desire to relieve stress, all of these things just combine together and create the perfect setup for the epidemic that we're dealing with.
Conan Gasque: Do you find that sometimes a teen starts vaping because of the flavors thinking, "Oh, this tastes good," and then next thing you know, they're addicted to it?
Robin Geurs: That's exactly right. And these are great kids, creative, passionate kids. And they just are curious when they see this marketing campaign and they smell maybe the scent for the first time. They're curious and just want to give it a try. Unfortunately, vaping companies know this and they've devised the e-liquid, the nicotine levels, especially what we're seeing now, the salt nicotine is designed to create the addiction, providing the user with as much nicotine as possible. And then, of course, the addiction takes place even more quickly. Even we say after one or two uses, the body of a teen can become addicted just that quickly.
Conan Gasque: And with a developing brain in a teenager, are developing brains more likely to become addicted, I guess, than maybe an adult brain or is it kind of similar?
Robin Geurs: They are more susceptible to addiction. The brain is just more sensitive. And so when nicotine is in the mix, again, we see addictions happening very quickly and it's looking to be something cool and harmless. But again, as we really look at the ingredients in the liquids and we look at the addiction levels that we are seeing today in our young people, we know that this is a problem and it's really time for us to start the conversation about why vaping is harmful and then also start providing support.
Conan Gasque: So teenagers can obviously easily become addicted. But let's be clear, it's addictive for adults as well and also dangerous for adults.
Robin Geurs: It is. And I ask the students, the high school students that I'll work with locally here, I'll ask, you know, "Well, if these liquids are so harmful for teens, do we think that they are also harmful for adults? Is there a reason that adults should be using them if you shouldn't be?" And they always know, they're very smart and they realize, and they can easily say, "Of course, not. Same liquids, same harm."
Conan Gasque: But I guess that's one of the things that adults can do, is to set that standard themselves, not use tobacco products themselves and that sets a positive example for their children.
Robin Geurs: I'm so glad you said that. As healthcare professionals, we encourage a smoke and a vapor-free home. That means no one needs to be smoking or vaping in the home or in the car. And it does, it sets a good role model for young people as they're growing, as they're experiencing things. And they want to do what's right. They want to be as healthy as possible.
Conan Gasque: So you can lead by example for your children to prevent them from getting into this in the first place. But conversations are important as well. How should these conversations begin?
Robin Geurs: So we want to be a supportive network as a community, and that includes all of us. What we realize is that our children are being targeted. If we think of it in that way, we realize these are great kids and they're just experimenting. They're curious. And then, the addiction can take place pretty quickly. So what we can do is create that safe space for our teen or young person to have a conversation with us as parents, as school administrators, as caregivers. And in that safe space, we can talk about the harms and not in a lecture type of way, but just in a conversation showing support always and concern.
And then, including, you know, if we feel like maybe our teen is using a vaping device or maybe they're hanging around kids, friends that are vaping, that's a good indication that they might also be vaping. So just having a talk with a pediatrician or maybe a physician, a doctor, and then a counselor can also be involved again if you feel like there is an addiction there.
Conan Gasque: Do you feel like there are a lot of misconceptions out there about vaping and the impact that it can have?
Robin Geurs: Absolutely. Again, this is not harmless practice. It is very harmful, again because of the ingredients in the liquids, many carcinogenic, most vaping devices do have nicotine in them. And then, just the plastics, the metals being heated to such a high temperature that creates metallic-type ingredient, offgassing, as well as just contamination of particles that no one should be breathing and putting into their lungs and, of course, is causing lung damage.
Conan Gasque: So we talked about prevention, we talked about what you can do if you find out that your child is vaping, what about resources available for parents and teens? What's out there to provide education and assistance?
Robin Geurs: So I would just suggest first 1-800-QUIT-NOW, is a program that Alabama provides to help 18 and older quit smoking, quit smoke-free tobacco as well as vaping. For anyone younger than 18, there is a text-to-quit program and it is provided by the Truth Initiative. And ADPH has currently joined with the Truth Initiative to provide this support. And teens can just text VAPEFREEAL to 88709. And then, this program is available for us currently, but ongoing is a program available by the Truth Initiative and a user can just text DITCHVAPE vape to 88709. And then again, you know, talking to a pediatrician and maybe a counselor for behavioral modifications or A physician.
Conan Gasque: So you have all these resources, parents can certainly make a difference. I know there's a lot of information out there that can certainly be scary, especially for parents of teenagers. But there's also a lot of reasons for hope that they can prevent their child from getting involved in this and that that they can help them if they do get involved.
Robin Geurs: Right. And I would love to focus on hope. I really feel like we are at this place now, we realize the harms, we see that FDA is trying to make some changes, trying to reduce teen introduction to vaping, but it is now time for us to begin this conversation. And I just feel a very positive movement throughout the community. And we have statewide advocates that are really just demanding that our kids not have to deal with this type of harmful marketing. So I think all of us within the community, healthcare professionals, as well as parents, we really need parents to just look at this in a very positive way that open communication can really make a difference and give their kiddos support.
Conan Gasque: A lot of information out there about vaping and a lot of people working very hard to try to reduce vaping among American youth.
Once again, Robin Geurs, certified tobacco treatment specialist in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at Children's of Alabama. Robin, thanks so much for your time.
Robin Geurs: Thank you.
Conan Gasque: Thanks for listening to Inside Pediatrics. You can find more podcasts like this one at childrensal.org/insidepediatrics.
The Dangers of Vaping and the Difference Parents Can Make
Conan Gasque: Welcome to Inside Pediatrics, a podcast brought to you by Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham. I'm Conan Gasque. Our topic today is vaping. It was declared an epidemic among American youth by US Surgeon General Jerome Adams in 2018. The numbers today remain staggering. According to a study by the FDA and CDC, more than 2 million students reported current use of e-cigarettes in 2021. They're the most popular tobacco product among high school and middle school students today.
Joining us now to talk about this topic is Robin Geurs, certified tobacco treatment specialist in pulmonary and sleep medicine at Children's of Alabama. Robin, thanks so much for your time today.
Robin Geurs: Thank you for having me.
Conan Gasque: So let's talk first about the impact of vaping. We know there are tons and tons of different kinds of chemicals in e-cigarettes. What kind of an impact does e-cigarette use have on the body and mind of a teen or an adolescent who participates in this activity?
Robin Geurs: So we really look at three different areas, the developing brain, the heart, as well as the lungs, all three are really harmed by vaping. The developing brain of a teen is basically rewired when it comes in contact with nicotine. And we can see this in a youth's inability to sleep, concentrate. Just feeling pleasure and associating that with vaping because of the nicotine addiction causes then a youth or a teen to really rearrange sort of their schedules and become addicted, meaning at a time when they should be more independent. They are actually arranging their schedule to when they can vape.
Conan Gasque: They want to have a good feeling over and over.
Robin Geurs: They do. Yes. And then, the other areas that we talked about, the lungs. I mean, I can't say enough about the harmful effects of these e-liquids on the lungs. Heavy metallic chemicals are in the liquids as well as the nicotine. And then, this causes inflammation, sensitivity, increased production of mucus. So users will be coughing, but we also see long-term lung damage caused by vaping. And then, the other effect we said was the brain, lungs and then the heart. Nicotine causes the heart to beat faster, causing stiffening of the arteries as well as just a decreased blood flow.
So all of these things are unfortunately masked in this marketing toward our youth and toward our kids. The harmful effects are just covered up by flavors and scents and this image that it's harmless when in fact the body is really struggling to deal with the harmful effects of these e-juices and vaping.
Conan Gasque: And you talked about the marketing. Do you feel like teens are especially susceptible to vaping and to becoming addicted to vaping because of some of the marketing that's out there?
Robin Geurs: Yes, definitely. And we're seeing that in research. Flavors, more than 15,000 flavors are available in e-juices and now the most popular disposable vaping devices. But marketing on social media, again, making it look cool, trying to appeal to young kids that are maybe stressed, maybe wanting to fit in, which it's really the perfect marketing plan. And it's working when you provide these beautiful flavors, cool-looking devices, devices that can be hidden or discreetly used even in a classroom. And then, also kind of playing to a teen's desire to relieve stress, all of these things just combine together and create the perfect setup for the epidemic that we're dealing with.
Conan Gasque: Do you find that sometimes a teen starts vaping because of the flavors thinking, "Oh, this tastes good," and then next thing you know, they're addicted to it?
Robin Geurs: That's exactly right. And these are great kids, creative, passionate kids. And they just are curious when they see this marketing campaign and they smell maybe the scent for the first time. They're curious and just want to give it a try. Unfortunately, vaping companies know this and they've devised the e-liquid, the nicotine levels, especially what we're seeing now, the salt nicotine is designed to create the addiction, providing the user with as much nicotine as possible. And then, of course, the addiction takes place even more quickly. Even we say after one or two uses, the body of a teen can become addicted just that quickly.
Conan Gasque: And with a developing brain in a teenager, are developing brains more likely to become addicted, I guess, than maybe an adult brain or is it kind of similar?
Robin Geurs: They are more susceptible to addiction. The brain is just more sensitive. And so when nicotine is in the mix, again, we see addictions happening very quickly and it's looking to be something cool and harmless. But again, as we really look at the ingredients in the liquids and we look at the addiction levels that we are seeing today in our young people, we know that this is a problem and it's really time for us to start the conversation about why vaping is harmful and then also start providing support.
Conan Gasque: So teenagers can obviously easily become addicted. But let's be clear, it's addictive for adults as well and also dangerous for adults.
Robin Geurs: It is. And I ask the students, the high school students that I'll work with locally here, I'll ask, you know, "Well, if these liquids are so harmful for teens, do we think that they are also harmful for adults? Is there a reason that adults should be using them if you shouldn't be?" And they always know, they're very smart and they realize, and they can easily say, "Of course, not. Same liquids, same harm."
Conan Gasque: But I guess that's one of the things that adults can do, is to set that standard themselves, not use tobacco products themselves and that sets a positive example for their children.
Robin Geurs: I'm so glad you said that. As healthcare professionals, we encourage a smoke and a vapor-free home. That means no one needs to be smoking or vaping in the home or in the car. And it does, it sets a good role model for young people as they're growing, as they're experiencing things. And they want to do what's right. They want to be as healthy as possible.
Conan Gasque: So you can lead by example for your children to prevent them from getting into this in the first place. But conversations are important as well. How should these conversations begin?
Robin Geurs: So we want to be a supportive network as a community, and that includes all of us. What we realize is that our children are being targeted. If we think of it in that way, we realize these are great kids and they're just experimenting. They're curious. And then, the addiction can take place pretty quickly. So what we can do is create that safe space for our teen or young person to have a conversation with us as parents, as school administrators, as caregivers. And in that safe space, we can talk about the harms and not in a lecture type of way, but just in a conversation showing support always and concern.
And then, including, you know, if we feel like maybe our teen is using a vaping device or maybe they're hanging around kids, friends that are vaping, that's a good indication that they might also be vaping. So just having a talk with a pediatrician or maybe a physician, a doctor, and then a counselor can also be involved again if you feel like there is an addiction there.
Conan Gasque: Do you feel like there are a lot of misconceptions out there about vaping and the impact that it can have?
Robin Geurs: Absolutely. Again, this is not harmless practice. It is very harmful, again because of the ingredients in the liquids, many carcinogenic, most vaping devices do have nicotine in them. And then, just the plastics, the metals being heated to such a high temperature that creates metallic-type ingredient, offgassing, as well as just contamination of particles that no one should be breathing and putting into their lungs and, of course, is causing lung damage.
Conan Gasque: So we talked about prevention, we talked about what you can do if you find out that your child is vaping, what about resources available for parents and teens? What's out there to provide education and assistance?
Robin Geurs: So I would just suggest first 1-800-QUIT-NOW, is a program that Alabama provides to help 18 and older quit smoking, quit smoke-free tobacco as well as vaping. For anyone younger than 18, there is a text-to-quit program and it is provided by the Truth Initiative. And ADPH has currently joined with the Truth Initiative to provide this support. And teens can just text VAPEFREEAL to 88709. And then, this program is available for us currently, but ongoing is a program available by the Truth Initiative and a user can just text DITCHVAPE vape to 88709. And then again, you know, talking to a pediatrician and maybe a counselor for behavioral modifications or A physician.
Conan Gasque: So you have all these resources, parents can certainly make a difference. I know there's a lot of information out there that can certainly be scary, especially for parents of teenagers. But there's also a lot of reasons for hope that they can prevent their child from getting involved in this and that that they can help them if they do get involved.
Robin Geurs: Right. And I would love to focus on hope. I really feel like we are at this place now, we realize the harms, we see that FDA is trying to make some changes, trying to reduce teen introduction to vaping, but it is now time for us to begin this conversation. And I just feel a very positive movement throughout the community. And we have statewide advocates that are really just demanding that our kids not have to deal with this type of harmful marketing. So I think all of us within the community, healthcare professionals, as well as parents, we really need parents to just look at this in a very positive way that open communication can really make a difference and give their kiddos support.
Conan Gasque: A lot of information out there about vaping and a lot of people working very hard to try to reduce vaping among American youth.
Once again, Robin Geurs, certified tobacco treatment specialist in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at Children's of Alabama. Robin, thanks so much for your time.
Robin Geurs: Thank you.
Conan Gasque: Thanks for listening to Inside Pediatrics. You can find more podcasts like this one at childrensal.org/insidepediatrics.