Until recently, the severity of e-cigarette use or “vaping” has been minimized.
However, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is currently investigating an outbreak of lung disease in connection with e-cigarette use following the deaths of
six people as a result of e-cigarette use or “vaping.”
Here’s what parents need to know to protect their children from this dangerous habit:
Know the facts
One pack of cigarettes contains six times the amount of nicotine as that of a single Juul pod. Juul is one of the most popular brands of e-cigarette products.
However, one pod will deliver the nicotine at a much faster rate than a cigarette. This is where the argument that vaping one pod is as dangerous to the body as smoking one pack of cigarettes. This claim is still under investigation by the CDC, but it is important for parents to know this and other facts when dissuading your children from vaping or smoking cigarettes.
Click here for additional facts.
Vaping hides in plain sight
Certain e-cigarettes can easily be mistaken for common school items such as USB drives. Parents can look for a memory sticks being charged on laptops that could potentially be an e-cigararette in disguise.
Avoiding peer pressure
Children as young as 11 are at risk for trying e-cigarettes. We encourage parents to talk to their elementary aged children about the dangers of vaping and that it can make them very sick. The younger they are aware, the lower the likelihood that they will be tempted to try it.
Look for symptoms of lung disease
Symptoms of lung disease can easily be mistaken for other conditions. Lung disease produces
vomiting, nausea, diarrhea,
fatigue,
fever or
abdominal pain.
For more information, please visit the CDC webpage on Electronic Cigarettes
This content was reviewed by the physicians in the Adolescent Medicine division of Nicklaus Children's Hospital.