ALTON - Just like technology has evolved, so have things in the vaping space. The risk for cancer, stunted brain development, and other serious ailments remains the same. But the look of the vapes, the sensation you get when using them and the age at which kids start vaping all are changing. That’s according to Karen Boyd, Heather Thompson and Jessica Williams, Mission Partners (employees) at OSF HealthCare Moeller Cancer Center in Alton, Illinois, who have been talking to parents and kids in the region for years about the dangers.
Vaping: a recap
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A quick recap on the dangers of vaping:
“Nicotine is a drug, and it’s addicting,” Boyd, a nurse navigator, says plainly. “Vapes can use other chemicals. They can use cannabis. Vapes aren’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. So you don’t know how much nicotine could be in there.”
Boyd adds that she’s seen kids as young as elementary school age experimenting with vaping. Her advice is to stop as soon as possible or never start.
Spotting symptoms, devices
Signs that kids might be vaping that parents and teachers should watch for:
- Changed demeanor, like mood swings
- Frequently stepping away, like asking to go to the restroom a lot at school
“They want to go smoke because they’re addicted already. They need that time. They have to go hide,” says Thompson, a breast health navigator. “Same thing at home. They constantly go to their room or bathroom.”
- New odors coming from your child or their belongings. Williams, a radiation therapist, notes that the smell could be good, like minty.
- Listen for kids using new phrases. Vapes are also called hookahs, pens, tank systems and mods.
Adults should also know the changing look of vapes. Boyd says they could be in plain sight in your child’s room, and you could miss them. Vapes can look like computer flash drives, ink pens, key fobs, candy canisters and even handheld video games.
