Youth Vaping - An Issue That Isn't Fading Away

As a first-year medical student and lead BreatheSmart facilitator with the Alberta Lung Association, I see firsthand the troubling trends in youth vaping across Alberta. Every day, young people are unwillingly drawn into a cycle that threatens their developing lungs and overall health—one that the medical community alongside the education, and governmental communities are trying to combat. 

In medical school, we're often told that prevention is better than cure. When it comes to healthcare, especially that of children, it is always better to be proactive rather than reactive. Yet, as vaping rises among Alberta’s youth, prevention feels like an impossible goal. The numbers are climbing, and as a future doctor, I find myself pondering: are we doing enough to help our youth steer clear of this dangerous habit? 

Well it may appear we are not, as vaping’s appeal to Albertan youth seems to be intensifying, taking over its well-documented health risks. As someone who's both studying medicine and actively facilitating youth lung health programs, I feel it’s time we take a step back and understand the harms of vaping. 

Vaping comes with a plethora of risks, ranging from COPD, emphysema, increased risk of lung cancer, popcorn lung and more. Despite that, 1 in 3 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 vape in Alberta (1). As a medical student, a topic in mental health of medicine that is quite prevalent is addiction vulnerability. Children are open to learn, and I have seen many children being open to learn about the dangers about vaping. On the flipside, the same children are susceptible to influence. Two major sources of influence I have seen to steer youth towards vaping include: 1- peers, and 2 - parents. In medical school, one idea that is often stressed is intergenerational impact. While vaping is an atypical example of this, many young adults engaged in vaping practices 1-2 decades ago. Those same young adults may potentially be serving as role models to children debating whether or not to engage in vaping. 

An important question that stems from that, then, is what is the legal climate surrounding vaping. While there are laws that regulate tobacco alongside vaping products, namely the Tobacco, Smoking and Vaping Reduction Act (TSVRA), there are noteworthy gaps in legislation. From a youth perspective, a key issue is that flavored vaping products are still widely available. By keeping flavors like strawberry and grape, youth remain attracted to vaping as a fun pastime. Second, the enforcement mechanisms in rural areas are rather limited. This may permit retailers to sell to youth without or with minimal consequence. On the note of retail sales, a major gap in the system is online sales - online age verification is easily bypassable by youth that may have access to parents' information. Finally, although federal laws cap nicotine levels at 20 mg/mL, an important question that crosses my mind as a medical student is if this amount is still capable of being addictive, which it very much is. In short, while legislation exists, there are numerous gaps which need to be spoken for. As medical learners, I think it is important that we take these issues to local, and provincial governments to shed light on how certain legislation is not comprehensive, and how potential pitfalls can be addressed.

Another important topic that can be observed is stigma. While it was stressed earlier that productivity is preferred to reactivity in the context of drug use, resources available to those that may have drug use issues is equally as important. A call to action would be to increase, firstly, youth friendly resources. This may include intra school support groups, relatable counseling services, and perhaps even social media initiatives that youth may find tangible. Moreover, the idea of confidentiality is paramount in medicine. Stressing to youth their confidentiality will be protected even if they reach out for help will ensure they trust the support around them, and ease the transition for those who already vape. 

On the topic of providing resources for those who engage in vaping, perhaps more important than how those resources are disseminated is the content in the resources themselves. First things first, resources need to focus on practical information as opposed to fear mongering. Rather than proving statistics on how many people vaping kills on an annual basis, replacements for vaping or strategies on how to quit vaping may be of more use in a pamphlet. Moreover, a critical aspect of how to approach sensitive conversations with anyone is to approach in a non-judgemental manner. As such, it is important to use cognizant language when describing youth that vape. Rather than calling them addicts, saying a person that is actively using vape products is a notable example of more neutral verbiage. With children especially, saying addicts can diminish someone's self esteem, while on the contrary, equipping them with information and suggesting they can make their own informed decisions is confidence inspiring.  

References 

1. One in three: Vaping rates have doubled among Alberta Young People | Edmonton Journal. (n.d.-a). 

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/one-in-three-vaping-rates-have-doubled-among-alber ta-young-people 

2. Canada, H. (2022, March 10). Vaping products – new limits on nicotine concentration and consultation on flavour restrictions. Canada.ca. 

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2021/06/backgrounder-vaping-products-- new-limits-on-nicotine-concentration-and-consultation-on-flavour-restrictions.html