Stop Addiction to Vaping through Education S.A.V.E

POLICY BRIEF

Title: Stop Addiction to Vaping through Education (S.A.V.E)

Executive Summary: The use of e-cigarettes among teens has been on an upward trend within the last few years. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (2020), “the use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults” (CDC, 2020). As CDC further observes, nicotine is a key ingredient in most e-cigarettes. Various research studies have clearly indicated that nicotine is not only highly addictive, but is also a major health risk. It is important to note that nicotine, according to the American Heart Association (2015), “can cause an increase in blood pressure, narrowing of the arteries… may also contribute to the hardening of the arterial walls, which in turn, may lead to a heart attack.” The American Heart Association also points out that there could even be more nicotine in some e-cigarettes than is the case in normal cigarettes. The relevance of taking deliberate measures to safeguard the wellbeing of our young people cannot be overstated. It is for this reason that a harm minimization approach has been recommended: a sensitization campaign aimed at promoting youth awareness on the various harms of vaping.

Introduction: We have a responsibility to advance societal ideals that have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of our youth. Available research clearly indicates that vaping is not as safe as it is made to appear in various marketing campaigns. There is need to counter the effect of deceptive adverts and ensure that the harms of vaping are highlighted in clear and certain terms.

Problem Description: From the onset, it is important to note that according to CDC (2020), nicotine is a key ingredient in most e-cigarettes. The harms of nicotine have been well-documented in various studies. The US Department of Health and Human Services (as cited in CDC, 2020) categorically points out that “nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.” Most young people are oblivious of these harms. This is more so the case given their constant exposure to e-cigarette advertisements and peer pressure to try out e-cigarette smoking. As a consequence, e-cigarettes are increasingly gaining traction as the new ‘cool’ amongst teens. Table 1 below clearly indicates that teen vaping is on the rise, as traditional cigarette smoking declines. In this case, we could conclude that if nothing is done to reign in teen vaping, the prevalence of the same among the youth will continue increasing.

Table 1

Source: National Adolescents Drug Trends

Policy Options:

1. Schools Incorporate the Harms of Vaping in their Drug Education Programs: Formal education remains one of the best inventions in as far as the advancement of civilization is concerned. Ensuring that the harms of vaping (alongside other drugs) are packaged as part and parcel of formal education would be a step in the right direction in as far as the promotion of the health and wellbeing of future generations is concerned. This approach has already proven to be effective in other scenarios. In a study seeking to assess the impact of high school-based education programs on drug abuse prevention, Boyani, Safaeian, Chehrazi, Etedali, Zaghian, and Mashhadian (2018) observe that “life skills training program through lecture-based and video clip-based educational methods was considerably effective in changing the high school students’ attitude toward drug abuse and addiction” (176).

2. Roll out Online Campaigns Designed to Highlight the Downsides of Vaping: With the advent of technology, most teens spend most of their time online. It therefore follows that any effort to reach out to them should be cognizant of this fact. It is important to note that 42.9% of high school students, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse – NIDA (2016), are constantly exposed to online pro-vaping adverts. It would be prudent to dilute the impact of these ads with factual information. Thus, online adverts could be crafted to reach out to the youth with the sole aim of discouraging this particular behavior.