BY KAREN BOSSICK
Learn about vaping on Tuesday night when Cody Orchard presents a Vaping Education Night for parents and teachers.
Orchard, health education specialist for South Central Public Health District, will make the free presentation at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, at the Community Campus in Hailey.
The presentation will cover the history of e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, e-cigs, vape sticks, vape pens, ego cigarettes, juuls, PVs, MODS and cig alikes.
Produced by the same companies that own big tobacco, they contain such chemicals as nicotine, diacetyl and formaldehyde. The nicotine is highly addictive and can raise blood pressure and spike adrenaline, increasing the likelihood of a heart attack. E-cigarette vapor disables key immune cells in the lung and boosts inflammation.
While people are quick to connect smoking with cancer, nearly a third of deaths from heart disease are the result of smoking and secondhand smoke.
E-cigarette users can get even more nicotine than they would from a traditional tobacco product, thanks by extra-strength cartridges with a higher concentration of nicotine. They can also increase the e-cigarette’s voltage to get a bigger hit.
Teen vaping has become a serious problem nationwide and in Idaho. Part of the reason is that vape cartridges are often formulated with flavorings such as apple pie to make them more appealing. Students can disguise their use of tobacco via devices designed to look like jump drives, phone chargers and other things.