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In the past year the number of teens using e-cigarettes has  and experts are worried. Side Effects Public Media鈥檚 Araceli Gomez-Aldana spoke with WFYI鈥檚 All Things Considered Host Matt Pelsor about the rising numbers.

AGA: I started reporting on this topic after reading the . It said there was a big surge in e-cigarette use among youth鈥� 1.5 million more students are using e-cigs in 2018 compared to 2017. In Indiana vaping increased for all 7th to 12th graders last year especially in teen boys.

So after seeing these numbers our community outreach team went out to cities like Kokomo and Terre Haute to hear how residents are handling the problem.

MP: What are some of the things you heard?

AGA: Mostly that there鈥檚 a lack of information. Teachers and parents don鈥檛 always know what vape pens look like and of course the company JUUL always comes up.

MP: JUUL is the California company that dominates the e-cigarette market.

AGA: Exactly. They鈥檙e really popular among teens. So sometimes these vape pens or JUULS are easy to hide. They鈥檙e small and they produce little smoke.

Also users themselves  don鈥檛 know how much nicotine is in these products. And the National Academy of Medicine says teens who use e-cigs are three times more likely to transition to traditional cigarettes.

MP: That鈥檚 what鈥檚 concerning, right? As we know nicotine is an addictive substance. So how prevalent is the use among teens?

AGA: They鈥檙e everywhere. Two high school student we spoke to in Terre Haute, Sasha and Kayla, they say a lot of their classmates JUUL.

鈥淓veryone at school has one. And they鈥檒l do it like just bend down and blow the smoke under the table. During school? Yeah. One hundred percent. In almost every class I鈥檓 in, someone鈥檚 JUUling- almost. Like the teachers know it鈥檚 happening. The teacher鈥檚 aren鈥檛 stupid. It鈥檚 not like they are just turning a blind eye. 鈥�

I asked them about consequences at school if you are caught with a JUUL or a vape pen. They say students do get in trouble. They get it taken away and a parent is notified but they don鈥檛 know of any resources to help them if the student is dependent on these nicotine filled devices.

Right now, schools have rules in place that prohibit any tobacco products but as a health reporter I started asking if there are resources for students - especially if they develop a dependency. At the listening session in Terre Haute a school representative that focuses on improving mental health resource in her school district , said trying to punish everyone is overwhelming and they want to work on prevention instead. 

鈥淏ecause we are seeing so many of these infraction come through the administration  building through expulsion hearings and things, we need to create some kind of prevention and education program that with those offenses comes participation.鈥�

MP: So what about the health risks? We know traditional cigarettes are harmful, what do we know about electronic cigarettes?

AGA: Well, we don鈥檛 know much about the long term effects of e-cigs and vaping use. And there鈥檚 debate about whether or not they鈥檙e safer than traditional cigarettes. BUT when we are talking about teens, some as young as 12 and 13, of course this is a concern. A JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of traditional cigarettes. So experts can agree on one thing, nicotine and the developing brain is not a good thing.

A pediatrician at the Kokomo listening session, Dr. Dana Stewart,  says there can be long term effects.

鈥淣icotine itself affects the prefrontal cortex. And so that is responsible for our executive decision making skills. And also our ability to pay attention to focus so there鈥檚 definitely been studies that鈥檝e show that that is affected by nicotine.鈥�

MP: Did you hear from parents? What鈥檚 their take on all of this?

AGA: Parents did attend the sessions. I think they feel like there鈥檚 a lack of resources and information. For instance, what do you do if your middle schooler or high schooler is trying these vape pens - e-cigs - and then becomes dependent? That鈥檚 a concern.

Anyone who wants to learn more about e-cigarettes can find our stories at . And the FDA website has lots of information, including its anti-smoking campaign called .

Side Effects Public Media is following this topic and is holding a live streamed panel conversation on June 4, 2019 at 11 a.m.  For more information go to .

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