Stan State, already a smoke, vape and nicotine-free campus, is participating in this year’s Great American Smokeout on Nov. 21 in a very big way — by celebrating that 84.5 percent of Stan State students report that they have never smoked cigarettes and 89.5 percent say they have never used e-cigarettes or vaping products.
These numbers are impressive compared to other colleges. According to an American Journal of Health Behavior (AJHB) survey of 4,100 college students, 29 percent of college students regularly smoke. Fortunately, for those students who do smoke, there are resources and avenues of support to help them quit the habit.
One of those avenues is The Great American Smokeout, an event held by the American Cancer Society every third Thursday in November. For more than 40 years, Americans across the country have taken this opportunity to create a plan to officially quit their addictions to tobacco and nicotine.
In light of the recent outbreak of lung injuries from e-cigarette and vaping use, Stan State’s Education, Prevention and Awareness Committee (EPAC) would like to make the campus community aware of the myths of e-cigarette use:
Myth #1: E-cigarettes are healthier than regular cigarettes.
JUUL is a brand of e-cigarette that is popular among young people. Like most e-cigarettes, JUUL contains a cartridge called a pod that is filled with a liquid consisting of flavoring and nicotine, and it is heated into a vapor to be inhaled. The device is easy to conceal because of its small size and contains twice the amount of nicotine than most other e-cigarette brands. Smoking a 5 percent pod of JUUL is the same as smoking one pack of cigarettes or taking 200 cigarette puffs.
Myth #2: E-cigarettes help you quit smoking regular cigarettes.
The opposite is actually true. According to the American Cancer Society, vaping teaches users how to inhale and causes addiction to nicotine. Those who vape are being prepared to smoke.
Myth #3: Socially smoking or vaping occasionally is fine because you won’t get addicted.
The American Cancer Society states that anyone who starts using tobacco or vaping nicotine can become addicted. The younger a person starts, the more likely they will become addicted to nicotine. According to the Surgeon General’s 2014 report, nearly all adult smokers started by the age of 26. Many smokers begin smoking due to the influence of friends. According to the AJHB, 70 percent of smokers only smoke in social settings.
Myth #4: Vaping doesn’t kill. Smoking cigarettes does.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 1,479 lung injury cases and 33 deaths associated with the use of e-cigarette products as of Oct. 15, 2019. This number has risen from 1,080 lung injury cases and 18 deaths on Oct. 1.
This outbreak of vape-related lung injuries is currently being investigated by the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So far, the findings suggest that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the compound in marijuana that produces a “high” — plays a role, but no single product or substance has been linked in all of the injuries.
The CDC has recommended that people not use any e-cigarette products that contain THC and to not buy any e-cigarette products off the street or modify them in any way.
However, they add that the best way to ensure that one is not at risk is to refrain from using all e-cigarettes and vaping products. The CDC emphasizes that all tobacco products carry a risk, including e-cigarettes.
Regardless of the investigation, the CDC recommends that youths, young adults and pregnant women should never use e-cigarettes or vaping products.
Adults should refrain from e-cigarette usage, but it is not recommended that e-cigarettes should be replaced with regular cigarettes. Instead, addicted adults are encouraged to seek out FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies.
If you would like to quit smoking, you can schedule an appointment and get help formulating a plan for smoking cessation at the Student Health Center. Nicotine patches are also available at the pharmacy in the Student Health Center.