Is Vaping the Cigarette for the Next Generation of Those Addicted to Nicotine?

By Jennifer Faringer

During the pandemic, there were increases reported across several drugs of misuse among youth to include alcohol, marijuana and nicotine in the form of vaping. School districts are continuing to struggle with how best to effectively respond to the increase in vaping not only among teens, but also pre-teens and more recently among elementary school-aged youth.

Key findings from the 20212022 School Year Monroe County Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) pertaining to vaping among youth include:

• 3% of students reported vaping

• 43% of students who vaped in past 12 months reported quitting and no longer vape

• 22% tried to quit and but still vape

• 81.5% reported they think vape products are addictive https://www.monroecounty. gov/files/health/health-action/ MC%20YRBS%202021-22%20FINAL. pdf

When students were asked why they use, over 28 percent said to destress, 14 percent to get a nicotine buzz, nearly 14 percent vape because their friends vape, and eight percent said they have experienced cravings and are unable to quit.

Big tobacco has once again nor- malized use with electronic cigarettes or vapes, creating trendy and attractive products with multiple flavors that attract youth.

"Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. Many teens who start with e-cigarettes may be condemned to struggling with a lifelong addiction to nicotine and conventional cigarettes,” said Centers for Disease Control Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

Despite the many myths surrounding electronic nicotine devices or vapes, they are:

• Not proven to be safe

• Not proven effective as nicotine replacement therapy

• Not harmless water vapor

• Addictive, can harm brain development

• Harmful not only to the individual using but also harmful as secondhand smoke and vapor

• Used to vape not only nicotine, but also marijuana and its high potency concentrates

The more recent fourth generation vape products are far more potent than the earlier versions, containing as much as 50 to 65 percent or more of nicotine (similar to three to four packs of cigarettes) and are therefore far more addictive. High potency nicotine is not the only risk with vape products as they also contain propylene glycol, lead, pound.” use synthetics in opioids to increase the high and it can be fatal. I haven’t seen a ton of tranq in Western New York, but every use is a chance they’ll overdose.”

The report further stated that xylazine is most often used as a cutting agent for illegal fentanyl mixes. A cutting agent is a cheap and readily available drug — xylazine in this case — mixed with the more expensive and harder to obtain drug such as fentanyl.

Sometimes cutting agents heighten the effect of the more expensive drug. With xylazine, the unintended effects can include bradycardia (slow heart rate), blurry vision, central nervous system depression, unsteady gait, slowed or stopped breathing, low blood pressure, hypothermia, high blood glucose levels, severe withdrawal, pinpoint pupils, necrotic skin ulcerations (may occur at other areas beside injection site with repeated exposure), coma and death. Because xylazine is a sedative, it is sometimes combined with stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine.

Ontario County has not seen rampant use of xylazine so far.

“As with everything, we get new information as it emerges,” said Ashley Tomassini, coalition coordinator for Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Ontario County and The Partnership for Ontario County. “Some evidence shows that it is in Ontario County. It’s possible that it’s not widely used at this point.”

Because of the many equine businesses and farms in Ontario County, it may be easier to access xylazine.

“It’s something we’re going to assess and keep monitoring,” Tomassini said.

Because xylazine is often used to cut fentanyl and other drugs, it may be even more dangerous than