Teens Who Vape

Sarah was shocked to get a call from her son's middle school principal telling her to pick him up right away for "emergency removal and suspension." He and his friends were caught vaping on the grounds after school, which the principal said is against the law. Her son was suspended for vaping, but he's not alone: Many teens use e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered devices that heat nicotine and other chemicals into a vapor that can be inhaled, also known as vaping.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, which coat the lungs with tar, e-cigarettes have no tar, but they do contain other harmful substances. For example, some e-cigarettes contain acetone, which is used as an ingredient in nail polish remover and can irritate the skin and eyes. Another chemical, diacetyl, is found in some flavorings and has been linked to a severe lung disease called popcorn lung, which causes permanent scarring and can lead to breathing problems and heart attacks.

Nicotine is also dangerous, even in small amounts. It reaches the brain within 10 seconds, triggering a surge of dopamine that makes you feel good, and it changes how your body works to make you want more nicotine. It can hurt your memory, learning and concentration. It can also cause long-term brain damage and addiction.

Teens who vape are more likely to continue vaping and try other tobacco products, including regular cigarettes, cigars, hookahs and smokeless tobacco. One vape pod can have as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, and the amount increases as you continue to vape.

Although the Food and Drug Administration has started to crack down on e-cigarettes, it's still too easy to buy them in stores and online. Most of the devices look like a cigarette and have a mouthpiece, a small cup or tank for the liquid that contains the nicotine and flavors (also called e-liquid), and an atomizer that has a tiny heating element to turn the liquid into a mist you inhale. A lot of devices are rechargeable and have replaceable pods that come in different flavors, such as strawberry ice cream or chocolate.

Some of the newer e-cigarettes are designed to look sleek and have attractive colors and animation. These are often marketed as "JUULs," which have become very popular among adolescents and young adults. A recent survey of adolescent vape users found that 85 percent favored fruit, dessert or candy flavors.

Talk to your teen about the risks of vaping. Try to get them to commit to not vaping, and to make a plan for how they will do it. For example, they might decide to write down why they want to quit or choose a day to stop. They can tell supportive family and friends, and get rid of their vaping supplies.

Oregon is a Tobacco 21 state, so the age to buy cigarettes and e-cigarettes is 21, but we're seeing youth vaping at alarming rates. It's important to talk to your teen about the dangers of e-cigarettes before they try them, and to offer support if they do decide to quit.