Vaping "Clearing the Air" Busting Myths and revealing Truths

Through our overarching organisation, Teen Challenge Tasmania, we work closely with people with active life controlling addictions and aid their families, walking alongside them in this part of their journey. It’s a tough one.

Where possible we help facilitate their entry into a residential rehabilitation program or another AOD program that is right for them at this stage, that they are willing to connect with and I highlight “if” they are willing. Addiction is a traumatic and devastating pathway when you find yourself there and for those around you that love you. Before you reach a point of consequence that urges you to accept where you are at and seek the help you need to exit, you do a lot of damage to yourself physically, emotionally and mentally and similarly to those around you. It can take a lot to look in the mirror and be honest with where you are at.

Traditionally this journey can take years to get to this point, however with the availability of high potency drugs on the market it has sped up the process for some.

What I am about to say may seem controversial to some, alarmist to others, however we are in the midst of an epidemic amongst our youth in Australia with an incidious delivery device, Vapes. Although not initially designed to addict, it has been highjacked by Big Tobacco/Marijuana Industries, coupled with one of the most addictive substances known to man, Nicotine, with bright colours, flavours and a tsunami of social media influencers to addict a whole new generation of youth who are now rapidly becoming income generators for these organisations.

We have been delivering Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) education to schools since 2015 in Australia. In 2018 through our links with the US we noted a rise of Vaping amongst young people overseas and began warning schools about this and encouraging them to get ahead of the game. At that stage little was appearing in schools and other things took priority, then a small “pandemic” hit and the landscape changed dramatically in this space.

Vaping & Cigarette Smoking

Australia had made a commendable difference to the smoking of Cigarettes, a level of smokers achieved at 13.8% collectively. 76.2% of males in Indonesia smoke cigarettes our smoking level achievements were envied by the world. Considering in 1945, 72% of Australian Males and 26% of Australian women smoked cigarettes, this was great progress, the Quit Campaign and other factors including taxes, education, regulation had done an excellent job. 3 in 4 young people aged 18-24 years of age had never smoked. In fact at this time specialists in this area were postulating that this generation were in fact going to wipe out smoking in Australia.

Studies show an intrinsic link between young people Vaping and their likelihood of moving on to smoking cigarettes as much as 7 times more likely if they vape, some researchers are pointing to as high as 9 times.

Reviewing data released from the Department of Health and Aged Care reviewing population 14+ years on Vaping and smoking 2018 - March 2023 certainly correlates to this in Australia. in July-Dec 2019 less than 1% of 14-17yo’s vaped and just over 2% smoked cigarettes, fast forward to Jan-Mar 2023, 14.5% of 14-17yo’s are vaping and 12.8% smoking cigarettes. Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mr Mark Butler announced that 1 in 6 school children and 1 in 4 young people 18-24 are vaping.

Vaping & Health Impacts

Current E-Cigarettes and Vapes are based on a design created by a Chinese Pharmacist, Hon Lik in 2003, as a 3 pack a day smoker, as was his father, who died of lung cancer, Mr Lik wanted to develop something to help people just like himself to quit smoking via nicotine delivery safely. A noble idea, however the devices were never formally tested before the commercial world got their hands on them for production. We have now had plenty of testing in the populace with human guinea pigs around the world and the findings are staggering. We know it didn’t work for Mr Lik, now a dual user of Cigarettes and Vapes and employed by the largest Tobacco Company in the UK after selling his patent to them (but that’s a whole other blog for another day)

What we now know about vapes and health should seriously concern us and stop this progress in its tracks. Here’s just some of the health issues we know of and the list increases with new research being released if not weekly at least monthly.

Lungs

Vaping has created a new disease for humankind, EVALI, E-Cigarette & Vaping Acquired Lung Injury. Initially discovered in the US as cases popped up around the country in 2019/2020 and resulted with the CDC reporting 2087 cases and 68 deaths as at March 2021. It is now linked to E-Cigarette and Vape use and the superheating of various chemicals in vapes that results in irrepairable damage to the lungs. Some cases have required lung transplants, Daniel Ament, being the first double lung transplant due to his vaping usage.

Different chemicals like Diacetyl and Formaldehydes, found in Vapes have been linked to other serious lung damage including Bronchiolitis Obliterans or commonly called Popcorn Lungs, which creates scarring within the Bronchioles, blocking airways and reducing oxygen availability, eventually leading to respitory failure.

Understanding the various chemicals discovered in Vapes and their links to serious diseases like Cancer, it is not difficult to join the dots as to Minister for Health, Mark Butlers announcement of $264M to be invested in a National Lung Cancer screening program initial media release in 2023. We are yet to see the fall out from Vaping impacts in Australian lives, in this area over the decades to come.

EVALI is in Australia too, we have had two reported cases, one sadly resulting in death.

Hearts

There is a significant amount of Nicotine in Vapes in Australia, in fact studies completed by the University of Woolongong found that nearly 90% of the Vapes not listing or boldly stating 0% Nicotine in their ingredients, had Nicotine in them and at incredibly high concentrations. Nicotine raises Blood Pressure and spikes adrenaline which can significantly increase the risk of a heart attack. Studies are showing that Vaping has impacts on the heart and 19% of vape usage at some point can result in Heart Failure.

The Australian Heart Foundation stated in a media release on new vaping legislation that a new study indicates the risk of heart attack for vapers is as high as 33% compared to those that have never vaped. They do not recommend vape use at any level.

Oral Health

As we learn more of the chemicals found in vapes it is not surprising that Dentists are warning young people of the impacts they are seeing in Australia. Oral dryness which places the vaper at risk of irritation, dental caries, gingivitis, periodontal disease, fungal infection like candidiosis and impacts to the oral microbiome.

Many of these conditions traditionally are not observed by dentists until a person in in their 40’s plus and chronic smokers, however they are being confronted with presentations of young people with these conditions. Vapers Tongue, is being observed with altered sensations, numbness and tingling in the tongue caused by the chemicals and heat in the Vapes. Chemicals found in vapes like Formaldehyde and Acetyldehyde increase the risk of oral cancer.

Mental Health

One of the myths circulating social media, targetting young people is that Vaping helps your mental health. In fact this was one of the leading reasons Dakota Stephenson, Australia’s first EVALI case took up vaping after watching social media influencers. Understanding the level of Nicotine in Vapes and it’s impacts on releasing neurotransmitter Dopamine, our feel good hormone, it makes sense vapers with challenges like anxiety, would feel better after hitting their vape. However the feeling doesn’t last and obviously doesn’t cure anxiety, so the problem is still there. Continual use can actually deplete Dopamine naturally available in the body and so vapers need more and more nicotine to just “feel normal” let alone the “feel good” of that first hit, hence the cycle of addiction begins.

Studies show that Mental Health is negatively impacted by Vaping and including depressive symptoms, anxiety, perceived stress and suicide-related behaviours. Nicotine, the major component in vapes leads to an increase in mental health challenges, even those that have no mental health challenges that start vaping are highly likely to develop one by taking up vaping. It also significantly impacts Brain Development of adolescents that can result in significant issues in physical and mental health for the user.

Second Hand & Third Hand Vaping

One of the allures of Vaping to young people is that “Cool” Vape cloud. Social Media and users will often tell new users its harmless its just “Water Vapour” and has no impact at all. They demonstrate and challenge new vapers to try “Chasing the Cloud” or the latest “Vape Trick”. As we’ve now discovered there are literally hundreds of harmful chemicals found in vapes in Australia and it makes sense that someone bringing these chemicals into their body is potentially impacted by them, but what about the people around the person vaping? Friends keeping a look out for them? People passing Vapers in the street? Little Children hugging their older sibling who vapes? Does it have an impact on them?

Sadly, yes it does and more and more evidence is becoming available on this and it should be incredibly concerning to the non-vaping population too.

We’ve all heard of Second-hand/Passive Cigarette smoking right? We know how harmful it is to those around the person smoking it can cause or worsen a range of conditions and diseases including: cancer, heart attacks, heart disease, respiratory infections such as pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, asthma and diabetes. Australia has Smoke-Free Laws on this to protect people from those harms.

Second Hand Vaping is no different. Research shows those same chemicals the Vaper is exposed to those around the vaper are exposed to them too. They are finer particles than traditional cigarette smoke and have been exposed to higher temperatures, which can alter the chemical compounds significantly, even turning into carcinogens.

With Vapes leaving a coating of fine particles on surfaces, clothing and equipment around them, we need to also be mindful of health impacts from third-hand vaping exposure. Although there is still limited information on this topic and future health impacts, what is known is very concerning especially in relation to children being exposed to these chemicals and toxins. Studies have shown that chemicals from Vapes can transfer from one location to adjacent properties with carcinogens discovered. These chemicals can be transfered via skin contact to contaminated surfaces into the bloodstream.

One can only speculate on the ramifications of these impacts on Work Health and Safety and Insurance claims in the future if businesses, schools, governments and corporations don’t understand the broader health impacts and openness to litigation if steps are not made to keep Smoke/Vape Free zones and protect non-vaping employees and customers.

Next Steps

Education is absolutely key, they fact you have got to this point in this article ensures you are more educated than many on the facts and very real risks and harms associated with Vaping. The responsibility now turns to you; What are you going to do with this information? As we encourage the thousands of School students, parents and school staff we speak to ….go and educate at least three people today on what you have learned. Share this article. Continue your own research, check out the supporting evidence on anything you read or are told on Vaping, who’s behind it and is there some financial incentive?

There’s more to come on our coverage of Vaping and we take you further on the educative journey, including whos behind the popularity of Vapes, What methods are being used? What are young people being exposed to? Keep an eye out for more Blogs from us.

If anything you have read has brought concerns for your own use or someone you care about here is a link to a Blog that we wrote a little while ago on how to have conversations and some tips to exit, however connecting with Quitline in your state would be a great start to have a conversation.

About NotEveOnce Projects and the Author

NotEvenOnce Projects have been supporting Australian Schools since 2015 and to date have delivered Alcohol and other Drug educations (including Vaping) to just over 150,000 students plus professionals, parents, school staff & community members. Our program outcomes have been evaluated by Western Sydney University and shown to positively impact the Cognitive and Affective Domains (How young people think and act) in this space. The programs are deliverable in-person Seminars or online Webinars.

Tanya Cavanagh, is the CEO of Teen Challenge Tasmania. Teen Challenge is an international organisation that commenced in 1958 in NY by Rev David Wilkerson, in response to his exposure to the significant drug addiction to Heroine at the time of the city's teenage gangs.  Today it has over 1400 residential rehab centres around the world for people from teens to adults with life controlling addictions.  Teen Challenge was established in Aust in QLD in 1981 and has residential programs in each state excluding NT, ACT & TAS.

Tanya has worked a large portion of her life in the Automotive Industry from working on cars to sales to the corporate world of running Dealerships. Her eyes were opened to the plight of many young people in her community when she helped a school conduct mock interviews.  The stories the young people shared to her interview question "What is something you have achieved you never thought you could achieve?" took her by surprise as they shared mental health, sexual/physical abuse, generational drug abuse and poverty within their own lives. Their stories ignited in her a passion to do something to help today's youth and she now says "I have finally found what I want to do with my life and now love waking up and going to work every day" She and her husband, founded Teen Challenge Tasmania in 2014 and works solidly in the prevention space, to turn young people away from the pathways that can lead to a life destroying pathway of drug use to mask or deal with life's challenges and build resilience to gain the future that was intended for them and not the pathway Drug Dealers will take them. 

She is highly driven and motivated in this space and together with her team, work with at-risk youth in Mentoring, Art Therapy, Workplace Mentoring/Training through social enterprises in Retail & Hospitality, Arrowsmith program overcoming learning difficulties through the science of neuroplasticity of the brain to allow reconnection with education.

The NotEvenOnce Education and Resilience building Projects are delivered around Australia and have now spoken to over 150,000 young people plus professionals & community members. She also works regularly with people within addiction and helps facilitate their entry into rehabilitation and operates small support groups for loved ones of someone in addiction through the Solutions Program.

To learn more or to seek having NotEvenOnce “Clearing the Air” Vaping Deep Dive in your school or business to expand education in this area please contact us at tanya@notevenonce.org.au