From the Head
Having already sent staff and parent correspondence earlier today related to the current COVID-19 lockdown, I thought I might use this eLink column for a different, but important, purpose.
Earlier this week our Year 8 students and families attended a drug and alcohol education seminar with renowned adolescent psychologist, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg. By “attended”, I mean virtually, because the event was moved online just hours before Dr Carr-Gregg was due to travel from Melbourne to Bendigo. One element of the seminar that particularly caught my attention was the information related to vaping. I would like to share Dr Carr-Gregg’s main points related to this insidious trend that is infiltrating the lives of more teenagers than you might imagine.
There were two figures that I found alarming from Dr Carr-Gregg’s presentation. Firstly, around 14% of 12 to 17 year old’s have tried an e-cigarette and around 32% of these young people have used an e-cigarette in the past month. Further, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 2.2% of teenagers smoke regularly and the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey reports that current e-cigarette use in young Australians is 6.8%. These figures are alarming enough for all parents to be concerned and a wake-up call for parents to stay up to date with their knowledge on how vaping can affect young lives.
Dr Carr-Gregg referred to the experience and research of Dr Eli Dabscheck, a respiratory and sleep physician at Alfred Health and Monash University. His take-out message is that any time you are smoking something that is not regulated, and you don’t know where it is from and what is in it, there is a chance of contamination.
E-cigarettes are intended to get people to stop smoking cigarettes by replacing an unhealthy habit with a healthier alternative. Without regulation, this is simply not possible because the range of substances that can be contained in an e-cigarette is unpredictable and often unknown. What we do know is that many e-cigarettes contain nicotine which is highly addictive and can impact brain development.
The Australian Medical Association says:
“Exposure to nicotine can harm adolescent brain development, and nicotine vaping products contain carcinogens including formaldehyde and solvents.”
Further;
“The evidence that vaping is effective as a quit smoking aid is inconclusive, but there is plenty of evidence that it causes harm. Multiple studies show that vaping can lead to previous non-smokers taking up tobacco smoking.”
This latter point concerns me greatly. It would seem that vaping has not only reinvented smoking but is potentially accelerating the use of nicotine in general.
Much research is underway to explore how e-cigarette or vaping product causes lung injury, and in some instances, serious respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms can ensue. For example, E acetate is a specific additive used in vaping solutions and when inhaled, it can severely damage the lungs enough to require invasive ventilation and intensive care.
Vapes may be disposable or refillable. They are cheap, easily obtained (despite being illegal for those under 18 years), and the peer pressure surrounding their use is immense and growing.
No matter your opinion on the potential damage that e-cigarettes might cause, which may not be fully realised for some time, the thing that all parents should be concerned about is the slippery slope. The manufacturers of e-cigarettes target young people, and just like the alcho-pop industry, they are producing attractive, cheap and tantalising products that seem anything but unhealthy and irresistible to many young people who will stop at little to impress their friends.
Experts state that just as there is no causal link between smoking marijuana and using other illicit drugs, research shows us that teens who do use illegal drugs try marijuana first. We need to be aware that vaping could potentially be the thin edge of a much larger wedge associated with illegal substances. At a minimum, e-cigarettes are just as addictive as traditional ones, and this alone is cause for concern.
I urge you to inform yourself about vaping and to talk to your teenage children about it. Many organisations have an official position on vaping and there are many good resources online for parents, as follows:
Alcohol and Drug Foundation:
https://adf.org.au/talking-about-drugs/parenting/vaping-youth/vaping-youth-2/
Australian Medical Association:
Dr Eli Dabscheck:
Respiratory and sleep physician at Alfred Health and Monash University:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mja-podcasts-2020-episode-28-e-cigarette-or-vaping/id857446881?i=1000484538109
Dr Anthea Rhodes, Director National Child Health Poll, Royal Children’s Hospital:
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/afternoons/vaping/13362120
Cancer Council:
https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/smoking/e-cigarettes
Australian Council on Smoking and Health:
https://www.acosh.org/the-truth-about-vaping/
A new generation of children is getting hooked on nicotine. All adults have a role to play in ensuring children understand the truth behind the promotion and practice of vaping.
Dr Clayton Massey
HEAD