RiverView Health is working with other Polk County entities to offer help to area teens who want to quit vaping or other tobacco-related addictions.
Vaping uses a small, handheld device often called e (electronic)-cigarettes and vape pens – to inhale a mist of nicotine and flavoring (e-liquid). It’s like smoking a cigarette, but vaping heats tiny particles out of a liquid rather than burning tobacco.
In November 2022, the Federal Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Findings showed that in 2022, more than 1 in 10 middle and high school students (3.08 million) had used a tobacco product during the past 30 days, including 16.5% of high school and 4.5% of middle school students.
The Evils of E-cigarettes
According to the report, E-cigarettes have been the most used tobacco product in the U.S.
Youth since 2014. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can: Harm brain development, which continues until about age 25, impact learning, memory, and attention, increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs, affect mental health, and has been associated with symptoms of depression.
In addition to nicotine, the aerosol that users inhale and exhale from e-cigarettes can expose themselves and bystanders to other harmful substances, including heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, according to the Surgeon General. Many e-cigarettes also come in kid-friendly flavors. In addition to making e-cigarettes more appealing to young people, some chemicals used to create certain flavors may also have health risks. E-cigarettes can also be used to deliver other drugs, including marijuana. In 2016, one-third of U.S. middle and high school students who used e-cigarettes had used marijuana in e-cigarettes.
Helping Teens Break the Habit
RiverView Health offers help to people of all ages wanting to quit tobacco. You do not have to be an adult to get help from Tobacco Treatment Specialist Stephanie Korynta. Teens receiving services can meet with Korynta one-on-one or bring a parent(s) or guardian(s).
“Meeting with a tobacco treatment specialist is private and confidential; your school, coaches, academic clubs, and so forth will not be notified that you smoke or vape or are seeking help to quit,’ Korynta reported. “This will be private, and quitting will be done on your terms; you will not be forced.” While meeting with the patient, Korynta designs an individualized quit plan, equips the patient with tips and tools to provide extra motivation, discusses different tobacco replacement options to help curb cravings, and provides a “quit kit” with items to keep their hands and mouth busy to help curb cravings.
“Patients do not have to wait until they are ‘ready to quit’ to see me,” she said. “Sometimes smokers will come in and learn about the process and options available to help them quit. This helps motivate them and start thinking about setting a quit date.
Most insurance companies cover up to three sessions with a tobacco treatment specialist, according to Korynta. For more information on tobacco cessation services at RiverView Health, call Rehab Services at 281.9463.
IN A SIDEBAR
As a parent or caregiver, you are essential in protecting your children from e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. Talk to your child or teen about why e-cigarettes are harmful to them. It’s never too late. Set a good example by being tobacco-free. Learn about the different shapes and types of e-cigarettes and the risks of e-cigarette use for young people at CDC.gov/e-cigarettes. Call Riverview’s Rehab Services Department at 281.9463 for information on services offered.
