The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

By Jane Parent Susan was in her 16-year-old son’s room recently. She discovered a weird looking sort of pen on his dresser. She didn’t know what it was, but she did a little digging and discovered it was a vape pen. “I was shocked to learn that my son could be using this pen to smoke any number of substances, says Susan.” “There was no smell or smoke in his bedroom while I was in the next room. I had no idea.” Electronic cigarettes in the form of  vape  pens and cartridges are more popular than ever, especially among high school students. E-cigarette use among teenagers has been  rapidly increasing  nationally, with more than 32% of 10th graders reporting vaping in the past year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “The good news is that middle and high school kids understand the health risks of smoking cigarettes,” says Dr. Laura Offutt, founder of online teen health resource  Real Talk with Dr. Offutt . “Unfortunately, they’ve also abs...

With the recent  Monitoring the Future Study  release indicating that nearly one in three 12th graders reported using a vaping device in the past year, it’s imperative that parents are informed of the potential dangers that can result from vaping. What is Vaping? Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, produced by an  e-cigarette or similar device . It’s become more popular among teens than regular cigarettes, especially given that vaping devices can be used for anything from flavors like mango, mint or tutti frutti, to flavorings containing nicotine or THC, the chemical compound in marijuana that produces the high. What are the Risks? There are several risks to vaping for teens. Below are three major ones for parents to be concerned about: Vaping is often marketed to kids, downplaying the dangers. With lots of flavors available for vaping liquids, as well as the variety of colors and devices available that charge...