Forum On Vaping Dangers At Brick Memorial High School

BRICK, NJ — Concerns about vaping, especially among teens, have become a national debate. Even as officials from the president on down to local authorities label it a crisis, teens continue to vape undeterred.

For those who are unsure about vaping and want to learn about the issue, Brick Memorial High School will be holding a forum on the issue.

The forum is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, in the auditorium at the high school.

Vaping has been growing in popularity since e-cigarettes first burst onto the scene earlier this decade.

"The hope for e-cigarettes from a public health standpoint was that they would be a less harmful alternative for adult cigarette smokers," said Michael Steinberg, professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director of The Tobacco Dependence Program at the Rutgers University Center for Tobacco Studies. "Unfortunately, these products have had limited appeal for adult smokers and major appeal for young people."

"The recent, severe health effects in young users largely stem from people manipulating, modifying and tampering with an already unregulated device. In many cases, patients reported the use of THC-containing e-cigarette products, and additives to these products may be responsible," Steinberg said.

Federal health officials have so far identified 450 possible cases of severe respiratory illnesses reported after use of e-cigarette products in 33 states, with six deaths, a recent news release from Rutgers University said. Although more information is needed to determine the cause of the illnesses, there is speculation that least some are due to contamination of cannabis products with a vitamin E extract.

The biggest concern is the appeal that e-cigarettes have for young people and the lack of long-term research studying the adverse health outcomes of vaping. Only 8 percent of U.S. high school students report using cigarettes – an all-time low – but 21 percent report using e-cigarettes in the past month, an all-time high, the Rutgers release said. These devices often appeal to young people with their vibrant colors and fun flavors, and they often come in inconspicuous shapes that parents may not recognize.

Most electronic nicotine delivery systems use propylene glycol, along with various flavorings and addictive nicotine. The flavorings, such as mango, strawberry and vanilla, were originally designed to be eaten – not inhaled. Certain pulmonary illnesses have been associated with the inhalation of certain flavorings.

The sale of vaping products to those under 21 is prohibited in New Jersey.

The forum at Brick Memorial will include a pulmonologist (a doctor who specializes in lung disease) and a cardiologist, and representatives of the Ocean County Health Department and the DART Coalition of Ocean County will be part of the panel.

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