Vaping and High School Athletes

Vaping is unsafe, to be condemned as a wolf in sheep's clothing.

What is vaping? Vaping is "the action or practice of inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device." A vaping pod/cartridge can contain the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. 

How many high school students are vaping? According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, e-cigarette use has increased dramatically. "From 2017 to 2018, current e-cigarette use—defined by use on at least one day in the past 30 days—by high school students increased 78 percent, from 11.7 to 20.8 percent, accounting for a troubling 3.05 million American high school students using e-cigarettes in 2018." Surely, the number has risen much higher. 

What are some risks of e-cigarettes? The products are:

• HIGHLY ADDICTIVE
• decrease attention span
• contain carcinogens (cancer-causing components like volatile organic compounds) 
• impair blood flow
• cause a variety of lung problems

Severe lung disease including cough, shortness of breath, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea have been seen among midwestern teens. Some patients required hospitalization, including time in intensive care. Over 150 cases have been reported to CDC including multiple patients requiring life support. It is not known which products are the principal causes or whether contaminants are contributing. 

Research in cell and animal studies indicate vaping reduces immunity, can worsen atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and induce behavioral changes in mice. 

Nicotine vaping is harming student athletes by causing symptoms of cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath and worsening asthma in some. Obviously breathing symptoms diminish athletic performance. 

Vaping device injuries can cause burns or confined explosions. It's estimated at over 1000 injuries nationwide. I had an adult patient who had leg burns from a device that caught fire in his pocket. 

Here's an image showing dental and jaw fractures from a vaping device. 

FEMA describes vaping devices as a new and unique hazard. 

There are very few studies of longitudinal effects of vaping on respiratory symptoms and lung function in regular users of electronic cigarettes. One Italian study of NINE regular users for at least (median) eight months didn't show significant changes. This is a poor study with seven of sixteen participants lost to followup or excluded. It also "selects" for patients who didn't quit because of health problems.  

A survey of University students examined the association of vaping and mental illness. "Those who used e-cigarettes were significantly more likely to have mental health histories of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, gambling disorder, and anxiety, to report low self-esteem, and to endorse traits of impulsivity." Vape users were also more likely to use illicit drugs. 

E-cigarette sales to minors are illegal in Melrose. 

Summary: 

• Electronic cigarettes most commonly deliver inhaled nicotine with one cartridge equivalent to a pack of cigarettes. 
• Nicotine is highly addictive; adolescents are highly susceptible. 
• Vaping can cause respiratory symptoms (cough, wheezing, shortness of breath), worsen asthma, and cause severe lung injury.
• Device failures can cause burns, dental, or mouth and face injury. 
• Vape users surveyed are more likely to have associated mental health issues and illegal drug use. 

Vaping isn't safe. Vaping isn't cool. Vaping isn't for winners.