PHILIPSBURG--The young writers of Teen Times are once again sounding the alarm about the use of e-cigarettes or vaping, among the youth of St. Maarten.
The group has written about the worrisome trend before and has recently seen a rise in vaping even among pre-teens, which they have attributed to an increase in availability at several supermarket outlets.
“It was bad before, but since there is no control, we are seeing more and more places selling vaping products, even advertising their availability along the roadside. We know that most parents have no clue about vaping or the risks of it, but we would like to warn parents that it is not something you will smell on your child. Pay attention to what is happening,” Teen Times said in a recent press release.
According to Teen Times, a survey conducted among 50 teens showed that 36 teens said they have tried vaping or are doing it. This is a 72% rate. The last survey carried out two years ago, also among 50 teens, showed a 45% rate.
According to the release, vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the vapour produced by the heated nicotine liquid (often called “juice”) of an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette or e-cig), vape pen, or personal vaporizer. It’s also commonly called “JUULing”.
Teen Times explained that most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes.
Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens, and other everyday items. Larger devices such as tank systems, or “mods,” do not look like other tobacco products.
E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).”
“Because of these high nicotine levels, vaping is extremely addictive — and teens are already more susceptible to addiction than adults because their brains are still developing, which makes them more likely to habituate to using drugs and alcohol,” said Teen Times.
Addiction can impact the ability and while vaping initially increases a student’s alertness and attention, a decrease in attention span is soon followed and long-term damage might be already done.
Teen Times noted several health risks vaping. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, a drug that’s highly addictive. “You don’t have to vape every day to get addicted,” Teen Times warned. Nicotine makes anxiety and depression worse. It also affects memory, concentration, self-control, and attention, especially in developing brains.
Teens who vape are more likely to start smoking regular (tobacco) cigarettes and may be more likely to develop other addictions in the future. Major health problems notable sleep issues, exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, chronic bronchitis and lung damage that can be life-threatening.
Teen Times said it knows of at least two schools that realised that vaping was becoming an issue when students were caught doing it in restrooms. Now, they stressed, it seems to be a “thing” at almost every social event that draw young people “and it’s a very dangerous situation.”
