Graphic by Anjali-Rao Herel ’22
BY VIVIAN LIVESAY ’21
Last Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the opening of an investigation into the recent spate of vaping-related lung illness, which so far includes about 530 known cases and seven deaths.
Jennifer Balut, the director of the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP) at Mount Holyoke, pointed out frequent misconceptions about the safety of vape products.
Vaping liquid is inhaled as an aerosol which contains toxic chemicals “including nicotine, ultrafine particles that get inhaled deeply into the lungs, chemicals linked to serious lung disease such as diacetyl, volatile organic compounds like benzene (found in car exhaust) and even heavy metals such as lead and nickel,” Balut said.
“Researchers still don’t know all the potential effects on our health yet, both in the short and longterm, including risks associated with secondhand exposure,” Balut said. “However, there appears to be enough evidence thus far indicating young people in particular should avoid using such products simply due to the risks that impact their brain development.”
Ever since vaping became popular in 2011, states have been grappling with how to regulate it. Some states, including Massachusetts, have banned vaping in any place where it is illegal to smoke cigarettes.
In June 2020, the Mount Holyoke campus will become smoke-free, which includes a ban on vaping on College grounds.
President Trump has recently proposed a ban on the sale of flavored vape liquid, which is often formulated to taste like fruit, mint or candy.
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has spoken out against flavored vape products, saying that it is an example of big tobacco companies targeting children and teenagers.
A study published in The Journal of Pediatrics indicates that increasing rates of adolescent e-cigarette usage have outpaced the declining rate of traditional tobacco usage in the same demographic.
In other words, there are teenagers who vape who would not have made the decision to smoke cigarettes, and it’s likely flavor has a great deal to do with that.
Balut also pointed out that the perception of safety, encouragement from family or friends and the low cost and easy accessibility compared to cigarettes are strong influences on a teenager’s decision to vape.
Karen Jacobus, Mount Holyoke’s “Be Well” Director, explained the results of the 2018 National College Health Assessment, which surveyed a number of health risks on individual campuses. At the time, 6.3 percent of students had vaped in the past 30 days, and 12.5 percent had ever vaped.
The Health Center expects those percentages to increase when the survey is sent out again in February 2020.
E-cigarettes are frequently used by people who are already addicted to nicotine as a less harmful replacement for traditional cigarettes. Many have raised concerns that a ban on vaping would cause smokers to return to cigarettes, which have more harmful ingredients than e-cigarettes.
Mount Holyoke students concerned about the effects of vaping should contact ADAP or Health Services for more information.