E-cigarettes, discreet, easy to get and tempting for American teenagers. 1.3 million more teens than last year now vaping, reports today’s federal study. These are some of the products i’ve confiscated this year alone. This is the evidence of what connecticut high school principal Fran Thompson calls an epidemic. I have kids that are already addicted to e-cigarettes to the point they cannot go through a school day without vaping.
Nationwide, nearly 20% of eighth graders, more than 30% of tenth graders and almost 40% of high school seniors vaped in the past year. Many not realizing there is addictive nicotine in the flavors they vap. These are not safe products and can produce a lifelong addiction to tobacco products. That’s really the concern. The survey contains good news, opioid use is down. Fewer high school students are binge drinking. Marijuana use hasn’t increased, and regular tobacco use is at an all-time low as teens opt for the sweet smell of vaping. You can’t tell if it’s a teenager’s lip gloss or cologne or if it’s a vape. Replacing old vices with a new one, still risking their health.