QUICK HIT: While vaping pens and e-cigarettes might appear harmless to teens, there are multiple concerns about their effects. A program on April 30 addresses the issue for parents and students.

By Anne Levin

With exotic flavors like mint, mango, and tutti-frutti, e-cigarettes and similar devices have become a big hit among teenagers. According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, vaping — inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by these devices — is now more popular with young people than regular cigarettes.

But these flavorings are far from harmless. They can contain nicotine or THC, the substance that creates a “high.” Marketed with teens in mind, they are widely available and loosely regulated. Concerns about the products have prompted a special free program being held Monday, April 30, from 7-9 p.m. at Witherspoon Hall. “Vaping: What you Need to Know” will feature Linda Richter, the director of policy research and analysis at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, as speaker.

“There is a misconception that this is not dangerous, but it is,” said Gary DiBlasio, executive director of Corner House, an organization that promotes the health and well-being of local teens. “They don’t really understand that it can have an addictive quality. And some of these devices have exploded in kids’ and adults’ pockets, causing third-degree burns. There is a lot that students and their parents should know, and we get questions about it all the time.”

Corner House teams up yearly with the Princeton Police Safe Neighborhood Bureau, the Princeton Health Department, The Princeton Area Drug and Alcohol Alliance, Princeton Public Schools, and local private schools to identify drug trends that are harmful to youth. Selecting vaping as a topic for this year’s educational event was an obvious choice. The Princeton police and health departments, as well as public and private school officials, will be part of the conversation following Richter’s keynote speech.

“We’re seeing a lot of different materials out there,” said DiBlasio. “If you go on Route 1 into any of those gas stations, they are all carrying supplies. I went in one the other day and half the store was filled with vaping materials.”

While definitive details about the effects of vaping have yet to be finalized, there is research with troubling results. The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids cites “a meta analysis of six studies” concluding that the risk of smoking increases four times in a teen that vapes versus a teen that does not. Chemicals used in the liquids inhaled from a vape pen or e-cigarette can be highly concentrated, making them unsafe.

“There are literally hundreds of brands, so there’s not a lot of firm information about what chemicals might be in what vape liquids,” reads a Q&A on the organization’s website. “But even beyond nicotine and THC, synthetic chemicals that make up these liquids — including ‘herbal incense’ like spice and synthetic marijuana — expose the lungs to a variety of chemicals, which could include carcinogens and toxic metal nanoparticles from the device itself. Not only could these chemicals make their way into young lungs, causing irritation and potentially ‘smoker’s cough,’ but they could also damage the inside of the mouth and create sores.”

In an online forum of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Richter was quoted, “E-cigarette use among young people and the prevailing perception that vaping is harmless highlight the tobacco industry’s ability to dominate public impressions about the safety of these products. It’s difficult in this context for parents to appreciate the risks.”

She was invited to speak because of her extensive research and writing on vaping. “She’s an expert, and people in Princeton like that,” DiBlasio said. “We’re very pleased to have her.”

Sponsors of the event stress that it is not about marijuana, but about vaping and vaping trends. Results of a survey being conducted by students at Princeton High School, Hun School, Princeton Day School, and Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart will be released. By last Friday, more than 300 students had responded to questions on the survey and DiBlasio was hoping for more.

“This is geared to students and parents, and not just high school — middle school kids are vaping, too,” said DiBlasio. “We want people to have the facts.”