Vaping epidemic is fracturing our children and destroying their lives | Opinion
Jeff and Hagit Sunberg, unfortunately, are not alone.
The Anderson Township couple courageously shared their story about the toll vaping has had on their son (Families, schools suffer vaping's toll," Oct. 1). I founded Step Up Anderson Township five years ago to educate parents about the dangers vaping. The good news is, most of our children will never partake of the largest tobacco or marijuana companies' products despite their candy-flavored enticements. However, approximately 25-30% of our teens are vaping – some starting nicotine vaping as early as fifth or sixth grades – according to state and federal data.
One Juul cartridge – a popular brand of e-cigarette – contains as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some teens will smoke a Juul cartridge in an evening. These nicotine vapes can not only be seriously damaging to the lungs, but they can also be a gateway to vaping high-potency marijuana.
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The pot smoked at Woodstock in 1969, also known as "Woodstock Weed" contained about 1-3% tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the mind-altering substance that makes a person high. Since then, the potency of marijuana plant material has steadily increased. Today's high-potency marijuana starts with a plant that has been biogenetically altered to contain up to 45% THC. It is then put through a process to extract just the THC, which is referred to as a "dab." The dab, which resembles a tiny bit of ear wax, can be heated on a rig or any device that will vaporize it, and then it is inhaled, going directly into the bloodstream.
It can be further distilled and added to food such as gummies, candies or made into oil. This can make the THC as high as 90% or more. Ingested cannabis takes longer to hit the brain as it must go through the digestive system, hence kids keep eating them as they don’t get the immediate high. This can result in overdose, psychosis and even death, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Emergency rooms and poison control centers across the U.S. and here in Ohio have seen a dramatic rise in visits due to this high-potency marijuana, according to the CDC.
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This is a very serious situation as the Sunbergs' story warns us. The dangers of early THC vaping can lead to schizophrenia, paranoia and suicide, according to the National Institute of Health. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has also reported that fentanyl has been found in these vapes recently. We cannot ignore this epidemic that is fracturing our children and destroying lives. We must educate ourselves and empower them to stay healthy and just say "Know!"
Denise Mayer is a resident of Anderson Township and founder of the Step Up Anderson Township Coalition, which brings awareness and education on the topics of illegal drugs, vaping and underage drinking and how they are affecting youth.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Nicotine vape use can lead to THC abuse. Empower kids to say no
