There have been a lot of scary reports in the news lately about people suffering severe lung reactions likely due to vaping. While doctors have yet to clearly identify a common link, it seems that many of those suffering extreme reactions have been using refillable vape cartridges, some filled with THC products. (1)(2) Vaping related lung damage is not limited to the midwest cases mentioned in those news stories. Similar cases here in New York State have caused the New York State Health Department to issue an advisory – Notification_101811 – to New York health care providers about an emerging health threat of severe pulmonary disease associated with the use of vape products.
These stories highlight the fact that much is not known about the effects of vaping on the lungs, and the only way to protect your lungs from vaping-related damage is not to vape.
Our NCUFY Session 3 Summer Interns spent their internship learning about the dangers of vaping, helping Northern Westchester Hospital as a focus group in their development of a vaping PSA, working on a logic model about why teenagers in our community vape and devising strategies for helping educate our community about vaping and to encourage our teens not to vape. Having learned that vaping exposes teens to nicotine and that nicotine is highly addictive, one of the topics our interns researched is helping teens make good choices around vaping and providing encouragement and assistance to stop vaping.
We will continue working with these interns to roll out these strategies, but for those who want help now with vaping avoidance or cessation, we wanted to share some resources. The Truth Initiative is one nonprofit public health group working to curb smoking and vaping. In collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, they have developed two digital programs to help people quit smoking and vaping. Smokefreeteen is another website that provides resources for teens to help quit smoking or vaping.
You can also get help quitting for you or a loved one by contacting your local addiction treatment center, such as Mountainside Treatment Center.