What are e-cigarettes/vaping devices?
These battery-powered devices that come in many different shapes and sizes, deliver varying level of nicotine, flavoring or THC (the psychoactive compound in marijuana) to the user in the form of an aerosol.
How prevalent is vaping by youth?
Vaping devices are more commonly used than traditional cigarettes by teens. In York County, 46% of high school aged youth report having ever tried one (Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 2019).
Isn’t it just harmless “water vapor” being released?
Vaping devices allow the user to make large clouds that many think are just water vapor, but are in fact an “aerosol mist.” The e-cigarette aerosol that users breathe from the device and exhale can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease, and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. Because of secondhand exposure concerns, in 2015 Maine passed a law banning the use of these devices in places smoking is already banned.
Can other substances besides nicotine be vaped?
Yes, marijuana can also be vaped. This can be done by either using a concentrated oil or simply placing the marijuana inside the device (not all devices allow this).
- 5 Things To Know About E-Cigarettes For Marijuana
- How to Know if Your Kid is Vaping Marijuana and What to Do About It
- How to Effectively Talk About Marijuana with Your Son or Daughter
Maine Updated E-Cigarette Regulations:
Latest E-Cigarette Regulations in Maine Rules, regulations, restrictions and more.
Resources for schools:
PowerPoints to be used in the classroom, handouts, policy resources and more.
- Vaping and ECigarette Use Among Maine Youth a handout with data from the 2019 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey
- Know The Risks: A Youth Guide to E-cigarettes US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention developed this presentation to educate youth on e-cigarettes. This resource is intended for adults who educate or serve youth ages 11 – 18 (teachers, youth ministers, coaches, scout leaders, etc.)
- Stanford Medicine Tobacco Prevention Toolkit free resource from Stanford Medicine with downloadable presentations, worksheets and activities to use in the classroom. Includes sample curriculum plans and subject-relevant materials.
- The Real Cost of Vaping: Understanding the Dangers of Teen E-Cigarette Use free resource from Scholastic and the FDA.
- Sidekicks Program This program trains Maine youth to talk to their peers about tobacco use and vaping using non-judgmental language and motivational interviewing principles.
- Tobacco-Free School Toolkit The MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence, in collaboration with the Maine CDC, put together this toolkit on school tobacco policy. The toolkit includes policy checklists and recommended language, including how vaping can be addressed. Need help with your policy? Contact Alexa Christie, York County Tobacco Coordinator at (207) 490-7854 or ALChristie@smhc.org
- Healthy Futures: An Alternative to Suspension Curriculum free resource created by Stanford Medicine. This 1 hour program includes activities, teacher resources (including PowerPoints, handouts), and a letter to parents. This program is intended to be used with students as an alternative to suspension.
- Nicotine, Vaping & Tobacco Intervention, A Supportive Workbook For Youth can be used one on one by school staff to help a youth who uses vape devices learn about the harms of their behavior as well as ways to help them stop using. It can be used as a first step as part of a disciplinary process as well. FMI, contact the Developer, Lee Anne Dodge at South Portland Schools.
- You Are The Target: educational website for youth from the Maine CDC
- True Vape Talk: website from the American Lung Association for teens, with information about the health risks of vaping and an “are you addicted?” quiz.
Resources for parents:
Learn more about vaping and how to talk with your kids about the risks.
- Vaping 101 for Parents and Caretakers presentation recording recording of a presentation from FCD Prevention Works and Stanford. You will need to enter your name and email address to access.
- Vaping 101 for Parents and Caretakers the slides from this webinar.
- How to Talk With Your Kids About Vaping a guide from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids on how to talk about vaping.
- Vaping: Know the Facts free online course for parents about vaping, addiction, and risk and protective factors.
- Talk With Your Teen About E-Cigarettes: A Tip Sheet For Parents how to start the conversation, from the US Surgeon General.
- The Teen Vaping Trend: What Parents Need To Know the essentials from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.
- The Vape Talk: guide from the American Lung Association on how to talk to your kids about vaping.
- BecomeAnEx: Information about nicotine addiction and a supportive community where parents can read about what it feels like to break a nicotine addiction, ask questions about how others are supporting loved ones, or post about the stressors and successes in your life as it relates to your child quitting. Parents can also text QUIT to (202) 899-7550 to sign up to receive text messages designed specifically for parents of vapers.
Youth-specific quit resources:
Maine resources:
- This is Quitting Youth Texting Program: Text MAINE to 88709. This is Quitting is a free, confidential texting program with evidence-based tips to help
13-24 year olds quit vaping. Download a postcard with talk tips and other free Maine tobacco quit resources.
National resources:
- Smoke-Free Teen from the National Institutes of Health includes information for teens on quitting vaping, dealing with triggers and cravings, etc.
In the news:
Video: Students Are Hiding Vaping Devices In Plain Sight
Outbreak of Lung Disease Associated with E-Cigarette Use, or Vaping
Vaping Has Reversed The Decline Of Tobacco Use Among Maine Students
How To Help Teenagers Quit Vaping
The Price of Cool: A Teenager, a Juul and Nicotine Addiction
‘I Can’t Stop’: Schools Struggle With Vaping Explosion
Teens inhale cancer-causing chemicals in e-cigarettes
Maine School Officials Alarmed About Rising Popularity of Vaping
High School Kids Use E-Cigarettes to Smoke Cannabis: Study