Colorado Leads Nation in Youth Vaping: What You Need to Know

It was a shock, even though my daughter has always described her Colorado middle school math class as “full of the bad kids.”  In spite of that, I was still caught off guard by her response.  I casually asked if kids in her school vaped?  I secretly hoped she wouldn’t even know what it was.

“Tons of kids vape, mom.  Half of the kids in my math class even do it in the classroom,” she replied.

That’s right.  Middle school.

It’s stunning and disturbing. And as parents, we need to be sure we understand exactly what it is, and what the consequences are.  Because youth vaping in Colorado is on the rise.

Colorado Kids and Vaping

On the tails of legalizing marijuana in this state, I feel like Colorado has cultivated a laid back view of substance use.  Throw in the recent trend of e-cigarettes and vaping, and one result is that statistics show Colorado leads the nation in youth vaping.

Did you know that about about half of Colorado high schools students have tried vaping nicotine? And, according to a study by the CDC, Colorado teens vape at a rate nearly two times the national average — more than teens in any other states surveyed.

In response to this growing health concern, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is helping parents and other adults who spend time with teens understand the risks of youth vaping, and prepare them to have informed conversations with teens about it.

So What Exactly IS Vaping?

Vaping is the latest trend in smoking.

“Vaping involves using an electronic cigarette, hookah or similar device to inhale certain vapors or aerosols, which could contain substances such as nicotine, marijuana or flavoring.” ~ Jacqueline Howard, CNN.com.

CNN recently reported that teen vaping continues to rise.  And the ratio of whether youths are vaping just flavoring, or vaping nicotine or marijuana, changes as teens get older.

For example, in eighth grade, only 10.9% of those responding to the CNN survey reported vaping nicotine.  By 12th grade, that goes up to 29.7% vaping nicotine.

You can see this troubling pattern, as youth vaping can lead to addictive nicotine use and even cigarette smoking.  It’s so ironic and sad, after society had finally appeared to make strides away from smoking cigarettes.

JUUL and Its Role in Increased Youth Vaping

JUUL is the most popular brand of vaping device on the market.  It’s become a coveted teen status symbol.  Once a device is purchased, it can be refilled with small pods for vaping.

Each Juul pod contains the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.

Available flavors include those such as cherry, bubble gum, strawberry.  Sounds harmless, right?  But these e-juices contain addictive nicotine, and other mystery chemicals, many harmful.  No, that smoke is not just water vapor.

In an effort to reduce underage use, the FDA has started cracking down on ‘Juuling’ among teenagers. They also banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes at U.S. convenience store.

What Can Parents Do?

First, be prepared for the conversation.  You can the read the myths associated with vape and the best ways to start a conversation.

Next, ask your own kids if they’ve seen or tried vaping.   Some helpful guidelines for talking to them about youth vaping include:

• Use Teachable Moments – if you see the subject come up on tv, or witness it firsthand… ask them how they feel about it.
• Set Clear Rules – Make your family rules clear, and stick to them. Tell your child what the consequences will be if they don’t follow them.
• Focus on Positive Messages – Encourage them to make good choices, one’s that will help them reach their goals and have a good future.
• Remind Them – Breaking the rules may have even further consequences, like being kicked off a team or school activity.
• Not Everyone is Doing It – Positive Peer Pressure!  Reinforce to your teenager that more than half of high school and middle school students have never vaped, so they’re in good company.

You can learn more, and get the tools to have a chat at tobaccofreeco.org.

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This article was sponsored by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.