Pulmonologist Dr. Shelley Schmidt and David Stults, who was diagnosed with Bronchiolitis Obliterans (“Popcorn Lung”) in 2010, will visit Wayland schools Monday, April 22, to warn of the dangers of vaping.
Students in grades 6-12 will be told about the recent trend and effects of vaping and the dangers for teens using e-cigarettes.
Since electronic cigarettes emit an aerosol that does not smell like smoke and their use is difficult to detect, some students may believe incorrectly that e-cigarettes do not have adverse health effects and/or are not prohibited at school.
However, officials say:
• E-cigarettes may contain as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes
• E-cigarettes can expose the user’s lungs to harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, diacetyl, and acrolein, as well as toxic metal particles like nickel, tin and lead.
• E-cigarettes come in a variety of shapes and sizes and may look more like a USB Flash drive, highlighter, pen or fruit roll-up than a tobacco product.
Currently, one in five high school students uses e-cigarettes. That’s more than 3 million kids. There has been a 78% increase in e-cigarette use among high school students and a 48% increase among middle school students.
Unfortunately, many teens do not view e-cigarettes as harmful when the truth is that nicotine exposure during the teen years can disrupt normal brain development and cause long-lasting effects, like increased impulsivity and mood disorders.
There is a concerted effort by schools to raise awareness and deterring behavior related to electronic cigarettes. A new bill (House Bill 4017) in the Michigan House would prohibit minors from using e-cigarettes and other alternative nicotine products. Federal law prohibits the sale of tobacco products to minors, including vapor products. However, Michigan does not have any laws preventing minors from possessing the products.
