Teens who vape have higher rates of depression and anxiety, new research says
Wrapped in fruity flavors and sleek designs, e-cigarettes have been drawing in young people for years and new research finds teenagers who vape have higher rates of depression and anxiety.
"It's small, it's portable, it's got tons of flavors," said Lyn Powell, a vaper in Boston. "Almost everybody I know got a vape — or if they don't have a vape, they're trying to hit somebody's vape."
Walking in the Fenway area Friday afternoon, he told WBZ-TV it's the convenience that keeps him vaping.
"You don't gotta light nothing, there's no smell. You can do it in the bathroom, in buildings, it's just more convenient," said Powell.
Experts: Flavors hook young users on e-cigarettes
But Brian King, Executive Vice President at Tobacco-Free Kids, said flavors are what hook young users.
"The advertising will lead a horse to water, the flavors will get them to drink — and the nicotine keeps them coming back for more," King said.
According to FDA data, more than 1.6 million kids still use e-cigarettes, and nearly 90% of them use a flavored product.
"[It declined] from about over 5 million kids in 2019, down to about 1.6 million kids," King said. "But bad news is we've still got more work to do."
Unlike traditional cigarettes — "Where many times, some of the more serious risks can be decades away like lung cancer," explained Dr. Alexia Arauz Boudreau, a primary care pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital, she said vaping can affect health immediately. "It actively changes your brain chemistry. Teens or anybody who uses are at risk about getting chemical lung burns."
Flavored tobacco still available in Massachusetts
To curb access, in 2020, Massachusetts made history banning retail stores from selling flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, and flavored e-cigarettes. However, Powell says it is still possible to get them.
"A lot of stores sell them under the table," he said. "And the police really don't care."
On Friday afternoon, WBZ-TV reporter Samantha Chaney bought a strawberry ice flavored vape from a convenience store in Boston-- they didn't even ask her for ID.
King said there's no single fix to this issue — but a united front can make a difference.
"Ultimately, it's going to be that coordinated approach that's going to work," he said. "And it's a good reminder that we have to redouble our efforts."
