Vaping 2.0: Navigating the Dangers vs. Cool Factor

At Monday’s Senior School Assembly, Head of Physical and Health Education Pete Milonas, joined by his colleagues Denise Steadman and Josh Collins, presented the myths and potential health hazards associated with teenage vaping to our students.
Initially developed to help adults stop smoking, e-cigarettes and vaporisers like Juuls, the less clunky device resembling a USB stick, are known to be highly addictive and have found their way into the hands of teens experimenting with nicotine for the first time.

While many believe vaping is less addictive and harmful than smoking, there can be the same amount of nicotine in one e-cigarette that can be found in a pack of cigarettes. That is why so many teens are discovering “love at first puff” after experiencing their first Juul and subsequent vape cloud as described in a recent New York Times story, “The Price of Cool: A Teenager, a Juul and Nicotine Addiction.”
 
Mr. Milonas went on to share a few more facts about vaping:
  • Can stunt brain development, especially for those under 25
  • Involves inhaling temperatures of upwards of 320 degrees Fahrenheit, which results in inhaling nickel and other metals from the devices as well
  • Risk of contracting chronic bronchitis, wet lung, also known as smoker’s lung
  • Vape flavours deliberately target teens, including: s’mores, peanut butter and jelly, blueberry cheesecake and vanilla custard
  • The cinnamon and cherry flavours emit diacetyl formaldehyde
  • Dust from vaping can cause cancer through 3rd hand smoke absorbed into skin
While it’s early days still and the real dangers of vaping may not be realized for another decade or more, Mr. Milonas, Ms. Steadman and Mr. Collins cautioned our students about the risks and armed them with information. They also told them that they run the risk of engaging in a social experiment at the moment; one that they may end up paying for in the future.
 
They ended their 10-minute presentation with this video, entitled “An Epidemic is Spreading.” 
 
Other helpful resources for parents and teens:
 
An Overview on E-Cigarettes and Vape Pens - to help educate students about these unknowns
 
Vaping and Teens – a three and a half minute video presented Monday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSmEsaXLXp4
In this Children's Channel video, Crystal Cole, MD, an adolescent medicine specialist at Akron Children's Hospital, shares the impact these devices may be having on young adults.
Back

Land Acknowledgment

CDS wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. For thousands of years, these have been the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We also recognize the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee peoples who also shared this land.  CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for these lands and waters for future generations.

School Information

13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5 
(905) 833-1220 

communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca

Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.