Silver Lining Found in Pandemic: Fewer Teens Are Vaping

FRIDAY, Oct. 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- It turns retired that the pandemic has reaped 1 unexpected benefit: As teens were kept location much often, their usage of electronic cigarettes dropped by astir 40%, a caller study finds.

U.S. wellness officials said these numbers should beryllium taken with a atom of salt, but the alteration successful vaping successful 2021 is astir apt existent and makes consciousness due to the fact that teens often vape socially, 1 adept told the Associated Press.

"They recovered a melodramatic driblet from past year, and it's hard to ideate that doesn't correspond a existent alteration successful usage among precocious schoolhouse and mediate schoolhouse students," Dr. Nancy Rigotti of Harvard University, who was not progressive successful the research, told the AP.

The survey recovered that 11% of precocious schoolhouse students and little than 3% of mediate schoolhouse students said they had precocious utilized e-cigarettes and different vaping products.

The twelvemonth before, astir 20% of precocious schoolhouse students and astir 5% of mediate schoolers had utilized e-cigarettes, the AP reported.

Before the pandemic, teen vaping was already connected the diminution arsenic national laws accrued the property for the acquisition of each tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21, the AP reported. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration besides banned astir flavored e-cigarette cartridges, which were driving the popularity of vaping among teens.

Some teens whitethorn person besides reacted to the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths from vaping liquids that contained THC, the progressive chemic successful marijuana, the AP noted.

More surveys are needed to corroborate these findings, Rigotti said. Since teens are present backmost astatine school, the usage of e-cigarettes whitethorn rebound.

However, "I'm definite schools are moving hard to guarantee that doesn't happen," she added.

Government officials estimation that astir 2 cardinal U.S. teens are vaping, a fig they accidental is inactive acold excessively high.

"E-cigarette usage among younker remains a superior nationalist wellness concern," CDC specializer Dr. Karen Hacker said successful an FDA quality merchandise connected the survey. "It's captious we proceed moving unneurotic to support young radical from the risks associated with baccy merchandise use, including e-cigarettes."

Continued

The FDA is considering much limits connected vaping. The bureau plans to determine which e-cigarette brands and products tin enactment connected the marketplace and which indispensable beryllium removed, the AP reported.

The bureau has not yet ruled connected large manufacturers that comprise astir of the market, including Juul and Vuse, but different brands are replacing these arsenic astir fashionable with teens, the authorities study said.

The apical marque for precocious schoolhouse students is simply a disposable e-cigarette called Puff Bar that comes successful flavors similar pinkish lemonade, strawberry and mango. These disposable flavored e-cigarettes are not regulated arsenic tightly arsenic Juul, which comes successful menthol and baccy only. Among students, lone 6% regularly usage Juul, the AP reported.

The findings were published successful the Oct. 1 contented of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

More information

Visit the FDA for much connected the dangers of vaping.

SOURCES: Associated Press; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, quality release, Sept. 30, 2021