B. Jill McCabe, MD, Katie MacDonald, MSN, CPNP and Erin Rovelli, RN, BSN serve patients at the Children’s Emergency Room at Inova Loudoun Hospital – Loudoun County’s only emergency facility solely dedicated to caring for children and adolescents. It is also the county’s first and only sensory-friendly ER.
Katie is also a pediatric nurse practitioner for Inova Urgent Care. Specialized pediatric services are available at the Dulles South, Reston, Tyson’s Corner, and West Springfield urgent care locations.
~ Updated as of October 11, 2019.
Over the past decade, vaping and e-cigarettes have become incredibly popular. They are currently the most commonly used tobacco products among youth in our country. In 2018, more than 3.6 million youth – including one in five high school students and one in 20 middle school students – reported active use of e-cigarettes.
Vaping and e-cigarettes are not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. As of October 8th, 1,299 cases of severe lung illness likely associated with e-cigarette products have been reported across the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked eight deaths directly to e-cigarettes. Most patients report a history of using THC-containing products. The latest national and regional findings suggest products containing THC play a role in the outbreak.
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about this health epidemic:
E-cigarettes are battery-powered smoking devices with liquid-filled cartridges that contain nicotine, popular flavors and other chemicals. The device heats the liquid into a vapor, which is then inhaled or “vaped.” E-cigarettes can also be used to smoke or “vape” marijuana, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana), herbs, waxes or oils. A bystander would not be able to tell the difference between THC and nicotine vaping.
Youth tend to use different words or slang when talking about e-cigarettes and vaping. “JUULing” is a popular word to describe a brand of e-cigarette. About one in four teens who use e-cigarettes has admitted to “dripping.” The user removes the mouthpiece and drips the liquid directly onto a heated coil. This allows the vapor to become thicker and stronger.
E-cigarette devices can resemble traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Or, they can look like common gadgets such as flashlights, USB flash drives or pens.
Many e-cigarettes contain ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs. In addition to nicotine, the liquid-filled cartridges may contain chemicals such as antifreeze and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, chromium or lead. Diacetyl, a common flavoring, is a chemical linked to a serious disease, a form of bronchiolitis, commonly known as popcorn lung.
VIDEO: Watch our “Ask the Expert” presentation on youth vaping
Vaping is the inhalation of a vapor and chemicals created by an e-cigarette or other vaping device.
Unfortunately, vaping has not been around long enough for us to know how it affects the body over time. However, health experts have linked serious lung damage – and even death – directly to vaping. It is important to note there is not one single product or ingredient identified as the cause of the most recent health problems and respiratory illnesses.
Here’s what we do know and how vaping can drastically impact your child’s health:
You play one of the most important roles in addressing this public health epidemic. Here are some ways you can help:
Credits:
STARKID TIPS BLOG: Read more posts from Inova’s pediatric emergency medicine blog and sign up at inovachildrens.org/starkid-blog
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This reads more like an opinion piece from an activist organization vs. someone taking the time to actually do thoughtful research before publishing. This is ill-informed, conflates several issues, and in some cases is fear-mongering. E-cigarettes, when properly regulated, are less harmful than combustible tobacco products (ask Public Health England). Further, people who are dying are using oils and THC--not properly manufactured e-cigarettes.
It is a sad day indeed if when articles like this are seen as facts, pushing people back to cigarettes.