Juuling at Howard
Sam Seliger '20 Copy Editor
Since first being identified in Sept 6, a mysterious lung illness related to e-cigarette use has spread across the country, causing over 2,000 illnesses and 34 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Cases have since been identified going back to at least March 31, and possibly earlier.
The disease, referred to as EVALI (E-cigarette, or Vaping, product use-Associated Lung Injury), presents symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath and gastrointestinal issues. EVALI often requires hospitalization, and can cause severe permanent lung tissue damage similar to that caused by mustard gas.
New research by the CDC has identified Vitamin E Acetate, a common additive in vaping products, as one of the potential causes, although other chemicals likely play a role as well.
“There’s a lot of evidence that Vitamin E Acetate is implicated in this disease,” explained Dr. Stan Glantz, a Professor of Medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of the world’s leading advocates and researchers on the dangers of smoking and vaping. “There’s also other evidence that propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which is used in most nicotine e-cigarettes, is causing the problems,” he elaborated.
EVALI is commonly associated with e-cigarette cartridges purporting to contain THC, the active ingredient in cannabis that produces a high, although there have also been cases of people developing the disease after only vaping nicotine, as the majority of patients have used some form of nicotine vaping product.
According to JAMA on November 5, more than 27% of teenagers self-reported having vaped in the past month. This is largely due to the ubiquity of JUUL, the discreet e-cigarette with a uniquely high nicotine content. In 2017, JUUL carried out a multimillion dollar campaign marketing to young adults who were not already using nicotine, according to research from a group with Stanford University. Although it was a violation of federal law, JUUL was not punished the marketing scheme, as they shut it down after requested by the Food and Drug Administration. JUUL now controls more than half of the e-cigarette market.
Like many other schools across the country, both JUULs and THC vapes have made their way to Howard High.
“My first time ever [vaping], would have been Freshman year,” said one Howard senior (students remained anonymous). “It was a JUUL. I thought it was like, the craziest thing ever... The summer after freshman year, going into sophomore year, was when I got my first JUUL. It was pretty much over from there, because I had unlimited access.”
For some students, exposure to JUULs lead to trying other kinds of vaping. “Trying a JUUL, for me, was a gateway into vaping THC,” admitted one student. Many prefer vaping because it is easier to hide than Marijuana. For one Howard vaper, trying a THC cartridge “was an eye-opening experience ... discreet highs became a possibility.”
One student estimated that at their peak, they were going through “a whole THC cart[ridge] a day, for about three or four months.” Now, they have lessened their use to “three to four times a week.”
The outbreak of EVALI has had a significant impact on students at Howard High. One student said they stopped vaping nicotine altogether after they first heard about the disease. When asked why they continue to vape THC despite the health risks, they admitted that they “don’t really know.”
“I’m a little bit worried,” said another student. “It’s kinda scary, with everybody dying and everything.” Despite their fears, they continue to vape THC, because “it is cheap, and [the cartridges] last a while.” The student admitted that when they buy their products, they do not actually know where they are manufactured, adding another level of risk.
The student who admitted to vaping three to four times a week is hoping to one day “wean themselves off” of vaping THC, “because they’re so bad for you.” Then concedes,“If somebody puts a dab pen in my hand, who am I to not take a hit.”
One student who has been vaping for three years is already seeing long term impacts, for example “a consistent cough that never really goes away.”
They admitted to being seriously worried about EVALI: “I have had days where its been really bad, and I’m like, oh man, I definitely have the disease.” “I don’t know how fast the disease could kill me if I did get it. It’s scary to think about, but it’s a realization you come to when you’ve already hit it so many times,” they added.
Members of Howard High administration speculate that the fear of EVALI may be causing a change in student habits. “I have noticed, and this is just me,” said Assistant Principal Mr. Castro, “this year, that bag [of confiscated vaping materials] would be a lot smaller than what we had last year, and I’m still doing the same routine [to catch vaping].” While Mr. Castro did not specifically blame EVALI for the decline, he has “seen a decrease” in vaping this year.
Medical professionals are strongly urging that people stop vaping all together in order to defend against EVALI. According to Dr. Glantz, “the only safe option is to stop [using] all e-cigarette products.”
The disease, referred to as EVALI (E-cigarette, or Vaping, product use-Associated Lung Injury), presents symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath and gastrointestinal issues. EVALI often requires hospitalization, and can cause severe permanent lung tissue damage similar to that caused by mustard gas.
New research by the CDC has identified Vitamin E Acetate, a common additive in vaping products, as one of the potential causes, although other chemicals likely play a role as well.
“There’s a lot of evidence that Vitamin E Acetate is implicated in this disease,” explained Dr. Stan Glantz, a Professor of Medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of the world’s leading advocates and researchers on the dangers of smoking and vaping. “There’s also other evidence that propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which is used in most nicotine e-cigarettes, is causing the problems,” he elaborated.
EVALI is commonly associated with e-cigarette cartridges purporting to contain THC, the active ingredient in cannabis that produces a high, although there have also been cases of people developing the disease after only vaping nicotine, as the majority of patients have used some form of nicotine vaping product.
According to JAMA on November 5, more than 27% of teenagers self-reported having vaped in the past month. This is largely due to the ubiquity of JUUL, the discreet e-cigarette with a uniquely high nicotine content. In 2017, JUUL carried out a multimillion dollar campaign marketing to young adults who were not already using nicotine, according to research from a group with Stanford University. Although it was a violation of federal law, JUUL was not punished the marketing scheme, as they shut it down after requested by the Food and Drug Administration. JUUL now controls more than half of the e-cigarette market.
Like many other schools across the country, both JUULs and THC vapes have made their way to Howard High.
“My first time ever [vaping], would have been Freshman year,” said one Howard senior (students remained anonymous). “It was a JUUL. I thought it was like, the craziest thing ever... The summer after freshman year, going into sophomore year, was when I got my first JUUL. It was pretty much over from there, because I had unlimited access.”
For some students, exposure to JUULs lead to trying other kinds of vaping. “Trying a JUUL, for me, was a gateway into vaping THC,” admitted one student. Many prefer vaping because it is easier to hide than Marijuana. For one Howard vaper, trying a THC cartridge “was an eye-opening experience ... discreet highs became a possibility.”
One student estimated that at their peak, they were going through “a whole THC cart[ridge] a day, for about three or four months.” Now, they have lessened their use to “three to four times a week.”
The outbreak of EVALI has had a significant impact on students at Howard High. One student said they stopped vaping nicotine altogether after they first heard about the disease. When asked why they continue to vape THC despite the health risks, they admitted that they “don’t really know.”
“I’m a little bit worried,” said another student. “It’s kinda scary, with everybody dying and everything.” Despite their fears, they continue to vape THC, because “it is cheap, and [the cartridges] last a while.” The student admitted that when they buy their products, they do not actually know where they are manufactured, adding another level of risk.
The student who admitted to vaping three to four times a week is hoping to one day “wean themselves off” of vaping THC, “because they’re so bad for you.” Then concedes,“If somebody puts a dab pen in my hand, who am I to not take a hit.”
One student who has been vaping for three years is already seeing long term impacts, for example “a consistent cough that never really goes away.”
They admitted to being seriously worried about EVALI: “I have had days where its been really bad, and I’m like, oh man, I definitely have the disease.” “I don’t know how fast the disease could kill me if I did get it. It’s scary to think about, but it’s a realization you come to when you’ve already hit it so many times,” they added.
Members of Howard High administration speculate that the fear of EVALI may be causing a change in student habits. “I have noticed, and this is just me,” said Assistant Principal Mr. Castro, “this year, that bag [of confiscated vaping materials] would be a lot smaller than what we had last year, and I’m still doing the same routine [to catch vaping].” While Mr. Castro did not specifically blame EVALI for the decline, he has “seen a decrease” in vaping this year.
Medical professionals are strongly urging that people stop vaping all together in order to defend against EVALI. According to Dr. Glantz, “the only safe option is to stop [using] all e-cigarette products.”