E-cigarettes/vaping has become a significant problem for our students. 2019 SHARP Survey indicates that more than a fourth of all students have tried vaping, and 12.8 % are currently using e-cigarettes. While studies indicate that vaping may be safer than tobacco cigarettes, vaping is still NOT safe for ANY young person, and it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 years old to possess or use vaping devices.
- Nicotine is highly additive and has a negative impact on developing brains.
- Nicotine use primes the brain for addiction to other substances.
- Youth who use e-cigarettes are up to six times more likely than their non-vaping peers to use tobacco products .
- E-cigarettes produce an aerosol, not a water vapor. This aerosol contains harmful chemicals, and the long-term health consequences of vaping are unknown.
- Vaping can lead to lung damage.
Clearing the Vapor Course
Clearing the Vapor is a free online course provided through the Southwest Utah Public Health Department. Teens get accurate information about the risks of e-cigarette use/vaping, in an engaging social media-like format. This course is beneficial for all teens whether they have and have not used e-cigarettes.
Additional Information
Quick Facts on the Risks of E-Cigarettes – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Know the Risks – U.S. Surgeon General
How to Keep Kids and Teens from Smoking and Vaping – American Heart Association
E-cigarettes, “Vapes” and JUULs: What Teens Should Know – American Lung Association
Parents Against Vaping e-cigs (PAVe)
Helping Students Quit Vaping/E-cigarettes
This is Quitting – truth initiative
Smokefree Teen – US Dept of Health