CONCERNS AMONG CANADIAN SCIENTISTS DUE TO AN EXPONENTIAL INCREASE OF VAPING TEENS

By: Laura Guerrero

Experts say one of the main reasons for this trend is the advertising and promotion that has been allowed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vaping is becoming increasingly popular among Canadian teens and adults, even though most of its health implications have not been totally understood yet

Still, the Canadian Cancer Society has called for “immediate government action” to focus on a significant increase in youth vaping in Canada. The move comes after a 2019 study from the University of Waterloo showed vaping among young people hiked 74% in one year. 

Jamila Apolinario, a 24-year-old college student, has been vaping for 8 years, and smoking for almost 16 years. Nowadays she smokes and vapes at the same time. 

“As time went by, I was transitioning vape-smoke, vape-smoke... First when I was vaping I quit smoking for three months and I just vape. Then I realized that I felt I wanted something stronger, like cigarettes,” says Apolinario.

According to the World Health Organization, the number of vapers has been increasing rapidly; from about seven million in 2011 to 41 million in 2018. 

The World Health Organization has previously cited several health concerns associated with vaping, pointing out that the long-term effects are unknown. However, nicotine in e-cigarettes is shown to be addictive and some sweeter flavors of e-cigarettes are irritants, potentially causing inflammation of the airways.

An additional concern recently is the addition of other chemicals into some vapes, such as the vitamin E acetate. The sticky chemical has been found in samples taken from people who got sick or died from vaping-related illness in the US

Michael Chaiton, a scientific researcher at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health has seen the exponential increase among youth in Canada since vaping legalization in 2018.

“The introduction of Juuls and the other pod like nicotine delivery devices, the availability of new types of flavors, convenience stores, and sort of the advertising that has been allowed at convenience stores until about a year and a half ago. It has contributed directly to the increase in youth,” says Chaiton.

Certain flavors such as mango, vanilla, and fruit, are known to be popular among young people. Making the idea of vaping even more appealing.

“We know that youth smokes vape primarily for the flavors, and that is one of the real attractive pieces of vaping to people. Especially when they are not addicted, yet, to nicotine,” says Chaiton.

But for many people like Jamila, vaping might not be the solution to quit smoking. Instead, it has become a new type of dependence driven, mostly, by convenience and the sweet temptation.

“I vape when I'm at school… so unlike cigarettes when you go inside the room you’ll smell like tobacco or something like that, but if you vape they only can smell like sweet menthol or whatever flavor you have when you vape,” says Apolinario.

For now, Health Canada says vaping can lead to nicotine addiction. That’s why the electronic cigarette company, Juul Labs, will ban most flavors in Canada. 

Nova Scotia and PEI have moved forward with flavor bans. By April 1, no retailer in Nova Scotia will be allowed to sell any flavored vaping product besides tobacco or unflavored e-cigarettes. PEI is currently under consultations on vaping restrictions, and the province’s Health Minister has promised to ban flavored products in the upcoming months.

Under Ontario’s plan, convenience stores and gas stations would no longer be allowed to sell flavored e-cigarettes. The government also wants to limit the nicotine content of any vaping product sold by retailers to 20 milligrams a milliliter. This is the same level the B.C. government has proposed.

Jamila Apolinario supports this move, and stresses that an early approach to these kinds of devices could predispose youth to be addicted to nicotine and other types of drugs.

“We are in a situation where we have many kids starting to vape and very few adults stopping using vapes. So we need to correct that balance. Banning flavors from e-cigarettes is one of the best ways of doing that,” says Chaiton.

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