According to the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) in 2019, 26.3% of Clarion County students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 reported vaping in the past 30 days.
Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission and Clarion Drug Free Coalition would like to bring attention to youth vaping trends and the effects that e-cigarette use/vaping can have on the body. The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.
E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat a liquid and produce an aerosol or mix of small particles in the air. E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes. Most have a battery, a heating element, and a place to hold a liquid. Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens, and other everyday items. Larger devices such as tank systems, or “mods,” do not look like other tobacco products. E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).”
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and harmful to adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine. According to the 2019 Clarion County PAYS data, 48.4% of Clarion County students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 believed that the substance that they were vaping was just flavoring, 59.1% reported vaping nicotine, 13.0% reported vaping marijuana or hash oil, 1.6% reported other substances, and 12.5% reported not knowing what substance they were vaping.
Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future. Research finds that, while only 2.4% or young people who had never used an e-cigarette in 2018 tried smoking the following year, 27.5% of those who started using e-cigarettes in 2018 went on to try traditional cigarettes a year later.
Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission offers vaping awareness presentations and curriculum, such as, CATCH My Breath. For more information or if you are interested in scheduling a vaping awareness presentation or lessons please call (814)226-6350 or email jdolby@aicdac.org.
If you or someone you know are interested in quitting tobacco or nicotine products, call the PA Free Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW), text QUITNOW to 333888 or go to pa.quitlogix.org.
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