[BHS Etree] ADMIN: Vaping related resources and information for parents

[BHS Etree]

Please do not reply to this message. If you have any questions, please contact  davidluu at berkeley.net <mailto:davidluu at berkeley.net> 


Dear parents, 

I wanted the share some helpful resources with you. Please reach out by emailing  davidluu at berkeley.net <mailto:davidluu at berkeley.net> if you have any questions. 

Quitting

According to this article <https://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20190131/what-works-to-help-teens-quit-vaping#3>, many things that have been proven effective for adults has not been proven for teens. Until more research can be done, there is https://novapes.org <https://novapes.org/>/. This site has a hotline for young folks to talk to a counselor about their desire to quit and a text number to use if they need support. You can also talk to your doctor about what can help your child. 

Engaging with your child about change: 

I use an approach called Motivational Interviewing when I do individual work with students. I'm linking a document  <https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/YouthGuide/AAPAdolescentHealthUpdateBMI.pdf>that goes over the framework's philosophy and best practices. It contains a worksheet that can help to guide the conversation. Its intended audience is pediatricians, but I'm sharing it with you in the hopes that it can help. 

Underage access to vapes: 

Although the FDA has banned Puff Bars <https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-notifies-companies-including-puff-bar-remove-flavored-disposable-e-cigarettes-and-youth>, students may be buying vapes from peers or accessing them online through sites such as ETSY.com <http://etsy.com/> or WISH.com <http://wish.com/> in violation of their site regulations. Here is a video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRHEaNQfiPM> that outlines how kids get vapes online even though they are underage in 2020. Please contact me to learn about efforts to curb underage sales in Berkeley.  

Counterfeit vapes and EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury) 

For those with concerns about the illness and deaths associated with vaping, please see the excerpt below (which comes from this blog: <https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/evali-new-information-on-vaping-induced-lung-injury-2020040319359>)

It has been hard to pinpoint the causes of EVALI. There are thousands of vaping products with varying ingredients, including illicit substances. Most likely, more than one specific product or substance is causing severe lung problems. No one knows why some people get EVALI and others do not, but part of this is probably due to the different ingredients they have inhaled.
The most common brand associated with EVALI is Dank Vape, a brand of products containing THC, the principal psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Exclusively using products with THC increases the risk for EVALI. (It’s unclear whether people who used nicotine-only vapes also were exposed to vape products with THC, or whether other ingredients caused the lung injury.)
Vitamin E acetate is strongly associated with EVALI. It is found largely in counterfeit brands (and recently in Juul products from South Korea). Vitamin E is a supplement considered safe when ingested or applied to the skin. Vitamin E acetate is an oil derivative used in vaping products as a thickener. It is found in about half of the products associated with EVALI. A recent small study found vitamin E deposits in the lung tissue of EVALI patients.
Other chemical components, including triglycerides, plant oils, petroleum distillates, and diluent terpenes have been found in bronchoscopy specimens of EVALI patients. But none are present in all patients.

Needless to say, vaping is still a major concern for all of us. The good news is that some people that vape have decided to cut down or quit during the pandemic. Check out this article <https://consumer.healthday.com/12-3-pandemic-lockdowns-may-have-caused-many-young-americans-to-qiut-vaping-2649094966.html> to learn more. 

Take good care, 

David  Luu

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Nicole Chee, Jenny Fosket, Chaghig Walker, and Charlotte Le Liboux are the parent-volunteer facilitators of the Etree; please direct any questions about the Etree to them at bhs-owner at lmi.net <mailto:bhs-owner at lmi.net>.
 
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