Latest vaping trend: marijuana

In this article, you’ll find answers to questions like:

1. Why are teens turning to marijuana for vaping?
2. Why were teens hospitalized after vaping?
3. How do I talk to my teen about the dangers?

With the exploding popularity of e-cigarettes among teenagers, it may be difficult for parents to know exactly what their teens — or their teen’s friends — may be vaping. But not knowing can be deadly. 

A dangerous trend is emerging as it’s easier than ever for teens to conceal marijuana in e-cigarette devices that may resemble household items such as USB flash drives, pens and flashlights.

1. WHY ARE TEENS TURNING TO MARIJUANA FOR VAPING?

Many teens are unaware of the specific chemicals or additives they are vaping from the heated cartridges, says Kathryn Grace, Hanley Foundation’s regional coordinator of prevention services for Palm Beach and Broward counties.

“Electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, can be used to smoke both liquid tobacco and liquid marijuana. Teens are choosing to use marijuana in liquid form because it has limited odor and is discreet,” she says.

2. WHY WERE TEENS HOSPITALIZED AFTER VAPING?

The mind-altering chemical in marijuana known as THC triggers the brain’s reward system, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. But what teens don't realize is that this is an unregulated industry. And that can be dangerous.

After vaping, a number of U.S. teens have wound up in intensive care with severe lung damage, according to recent reports in the national news media. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on August 30, 2019, cautioned that about 215 possible cases of severe pulmonary illness appear to be linked to e-cigarettes in 25 states. Many of these critically ill patients, including several teens, used cannabinoid products in them.

Vaping marijuana is more dangerous than smoking it because of toxic chemicals used to create the liquid that electronic cigarettes heat into a vapor.

“Liquid marijuana also has a much higher concentration of THC than the marijuana flowers, making it very easy to accidentally exceed normal doses, which could result in an overdose,” Grace says.

3. HOW DO I TALK TO MY TEEN ABOUT THE DANGERS?

It’s important to talk early and often with your children and to keep the conversations age appropriate, Grace says.

“This is not a once-and-done discussion,” she says. “It is necessary to stay involved with your teen’s life and keep bringing up important topics to discuss with them as they navigate adolescence.”

SOURCES:

• Kathryn Grace, regional coordinator of prevention services for Palm Beach and Broward counties, Hanley Foundation
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• National Public Radio 
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention