Who’s Doing It While the majority of kids are still choos- ing not to smoke or vape, use by middle and high school students is increasing at an alarming rate. There is a nine- to ten- fold increase in the number of middle and high school students who reported vaping between 2011 and 2015, according to the CDC. For the first time in 2014, more kids reported using e-cigarettes than smoked cigarettes. This trend is threatening to reverse the steady progress that has been made in reducing youth use of tobacco products. Studies are also finding that kids who vape are more likely to try cigarettes and other tobacco products as well.


Is Vaping Safe? There is a widespread perception among teens and many parents that vaping is safer than smoking and a cool, attractive and fun social experience — without the ash, butts and smell. There is significant debate about


whether vaping is a safer alternative to traditional cigarette smoking for adult smokers, but almost all agree that vaping is not harmless. While there is less tar and


Ready, Set, Grow


carbon monoxide inhaled than with tradi- tional cigarettes, there is still an unhealthy dose of nicotine and other chemicals. Vapor has been found to contain irritating micro-particles, formaldehyde and other carcinogens, though in fewer concentra- tions than traditional cigarettes. There is evidence of airway irritation, increased cough and increased airway restriction and reduced resistance to respiratory in- fection in those who vape. There is simply not enough research on these relatively new products to know all the long-term health risks.


But the most important and often over- looked factor in the debate about safety is nicotine. Young people should never start using nicotine in any form, period. Nicotine is a highly addictive, toxic sub- stance found to affect the brain the same way cocaine, heroin and other addictive drugs do. Teens are much more vulner- able to addictive substances than adults because of the rapid growth and develop- ment of portions of the brain during ado- lescence. It takes less exposure for a teen to become addicted to any substance, including nicotine. The younger the age


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