Following are health resources for parents, guardians and educators.
PCOE: Vaping 101 for Educators and Parents
What Are E-Cigarettes?
I like to start with very basics here, just to get us all on the same level playing field, just what cigarettes are. Before I start, I’d like to mention that I use the words e-cigarettes, vaping, or vapes all synonymously, as you know, typically those different verbiage all around there that we’re seeing youth use. So if you’re hearing your students say vaping, they mean e-cigarettes, but it’s just all over the board there.
So just to start out here, let’s start with e-cigarettes. All e-cigarettes, as you see here, start with the battery. Whether e-cigarettes look different in shape, size, or color, they all have the same basic components of how they’re made. Each battery will essentially be a lithium battery, things like you see in your disposable chargers or your external chargers for your cell phones. Then we have what we call an atomizer coil. This is what heats up really hot within the device, creating what looks like a vapor in a small air shaft with the liquids that go inside.
There’s also an absorbent material or cotton that is used to hold these different vape liquids, things like nicotine, as you see here and others. Now, when you’re vaping and you’re pulling from this vape, it pulls all of these chemicals through the atomizer coil, heating them up super hot to create what looks like a vapor, or this big cloud that we’re starting to see all around town, in cars, everywhere.
With that being said, there are different components here, and you’ll see the different types of liquids and juices over here. Your attention on the left, that is a pod. We see that in a lot of our non-disposable vape devices. Their pods can be clicked in and out, and they actually hold the nicotine and all the other flavorings and chemicals. Over here we see different bottles, those look like eyedroppers or droppers, that go into our larger vape devices. They’re called tanks and mods, which I’ll show you a little bit later, but those let you control how much liquid you’re putting in, a little bit more control over the unit product.
Why the E-Cigarette?
A little bit of history here just to give us an idea of where they started. Back in 2003, the e-cigarette was created with the intent to be a cessation or quitting device. This was started because a scientist had a father who passed away from smoking issues and thought that there might be a better way to help people quit. It was significantly less likely to harm adults, and that’s what we thought initially. You see here the American Cancer Society mentioned that.
Now, the long-term effects we don’t really know much of. Yes, they’ve been around for about 17 years so far, but unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of information in the long term on these health effects. E-cigarettes and vapes, I wanted to give you all a bit of a visual just on what to look for. There’s a lot here; unfortunately, there’s a lot more out there, but this is kind of a rough estimate of most of the things that you’ll be seeing.
Just to get started, I’ll show you what we’re seeing youth mainly use. This rechargeable e-cigarette here, the famous ones that look like USB devices, you put in and out of these pods. You do see here the disposable e-cigarette, not as popular right now, but that’s what they looked like when they first came out. They were meant to look like a cigarette, meant for people who are already smoking for cessation purposes.
Now we are starting to see more disposable e-cigarettes. They do look a lot like the common Juul or rechargeable cigarette. You see here the Puff Bar, that’s jumping out on the market now as a really affordable disposable e-cigarette. They have a lot of flavors as well and are pretty inexpensive, possibly around $10 apiece.
With that, that is what we’re mostly seeing youth using. However, what I mentioned in the last slide are the large tank and mod devices. Those are the big handheld ones that you’ll see mainly in adults using. They are more expensive, customizable, and you can control how much nicotine you are really putting in there. Some people can actually make it to what they like. These are the ones that produce huge clouds of smoke when you’re walking down the street.
I will say most of our youth aren’t using them. However, there are some who are able to get a hold of these devices, typically from adults, older siblings, or connections. Over time, a lot of these devices have changed. They’re typically meant to be discreet, easily storable. We have the bigger devices, but that’s for someone who doesn’t mind people seeing them. All of these are meant to be a little bit cigarette-style.
E-Cigarettes and Vapes (Stealthy)
There are some stealthy vapes on the market, meant to be more discreet. Unfortunately, some youth have access to these products. For example, on the top left, you see a medical inhaler that’s actually a vape device. We also see hoodies and sweatshirts turned into vaping devices, as you see through the drawstrings, and even a backpack phone case. There are many devices meant to look like everyday items. These companies are marketing towards youth. If you’re an adult and this is legal for you, there’s no need to hide it this much.
Smartwatches are becoming more common. If your child has a brand-new smartwatch, take a look. It probably isn’t a device, but you never know. On the bottom right is a key fob that’s actually a vape device. If I didn’t know it was a vape device, I would think it’s a key fob. Companies are clever, so keep an eye out for new devices, new clothing, USB pieces, and other items.
What to Watch For
Parents and educators, the main thing is sweet or interesting scents and flavors. They can smell like lotions or perfumes. If you smell it often, especially in discreet settings, keep an eye out. Unfamiliar USB drives, battery chargers, and spare parts can indicate a vape device.
Changes in mood, irritability, restlessness, and sleeplessness may also appear. Teens naturally go through changes, but if you see a combination of indicators, it may warrant a conversation. Watch for hiding behaviors, like hollowed-out books, pens, magic markers, or phone cases.
In classrooms, watch for students constantly going to the bathroom at the same time every day. Many students who vape coordinate with others. Sweatshirts or t-shirts pulled over the face can be used to disguise vapor. Stealth vaping, taking smaller hits, may also occur. At home, new electronic devices or USB devices may indicate use.
Aerosol vs. Water Vapor
There are misconceptions about what vape devices produce. E-cigarettes produce an aerosol, not just water vapor. Water vapor, like steam from boiling water, disappears completely. Aerosol is a mixture of particles suspended in a gas, leaving residue in the air. Think of Febreze: even after it disperses, you can still smell it. Aerosol from vaping goes into your lungs, coating them with chemicals and metals, and is exhaled into the air.
What is in E-Cigs and Vapes?
E-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals, many of which are toxic in other contexts. Arsenic, for example, is found in rat poison. While safe to touch, it’s not safe to inhale. The list of chemicals in vapes is long, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
What’s in E-Juice, Vape Juice, Pods
E-juice and vape juice come in bottles that look like eyedropper bottles, used in larger tanks and mods. Pods are starting to pick up flavors until flavor bans were implemented. Ingredients include propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavoring, dyes, and nicotine. Nicotine salts are stronger, with a high nicotine content and benzoic acid added for a smoother hit. Companies are not fully considering long-term effects.
Let’s Dive Deeper: Nicotine
Nicotine affects brain development, which continues until about age 25. It targets areas controlling attention, learning, memory, and mood. Synapses are affected, slowing brain development. Standard cigarettes have about 1 mg per cigarette, 20 mg per pack. A Juul pod has about 41 mg, equivalent to two packs of cigarettes per pod. This makes cessation and quitting more challenging.
What Happens When Using?
Nicotine provides a buzz, relaxation, and can stimulate dopamine, the feel-good chemical. Dopamine reinforces memory, linking pleasurable activities, including vaping, to reward. Over time, desensitization occurs, making it harder to feel pleasure and contributing to addiction. Addiction does not discriminate.
Who is Vaping?
Youth from all backgrounds and academic levels are vaping. This includes straight-A students, athletes, and others. Vaping is seen as a social act and something fun.
Why Are Youth Vaping?
Adolescent development, risk-taking, peer pressure, social media influence, and stress contribute. Youth report stress from academics, sports, family, and life pressures. Vaping feels good and relieves stress but can lead to addiction. Social media normalizes use, creating unrealistic expectations.
First-hand accounts describe vaping as a fast, accessible pleasure, comparable to scrolling Instagram, emphasizing instant gratification. Social pressure and expectations also play a role.
What Do Youth Know About Vaping?
Many youth believe they are inhaling only flavors and water vapor, not understanding the aerosols and chemicals involved. Education and open conversations are essential.
What Are They Seeing in Media?
Advertisements target youth with fun, happy imagery and flavors like bubblegum. Big tobacco still influences vape branding, with many brands owned by tobacco companies.
Current Statistics and Policies
Youth vaping has reached epidemic levels, with nearly 3,000 cases of lung illness linked to vaping as of 2019. At least 68 deaths nationwide are directly related. Federal and state policies are evolving, including age restrictions, flavor bans, and retailer regulations.
What Can You Do?
Don’t panic. Not all youth vape. Educate early and often, starting as young as fifth grade. Promote protective factors, healthy coping mechanisms, peer support, and school engagement. Intervene when needed, using approaches like brief intervention to address root causes rather than just punishing use. Use your voice locally, at the state level, and advocate for safer, healthier communities.
Quitting Resources
Apps like QuitStart and Smoke Free, texting resources, hotlines, and Google searches for quitting resources can help. Reach out for guidance and support.
Thank you for staying with me. Please reach out if you need further information. It has been a pleasure presenting to you today.
Powering Up Your Parenting
So, I wanted to start. I really liked the opening slide, how it talked about neurons and how taking care of your kids starts with taking care of yourself. I’m just going to offer a 30-second grounding little mindfulness practice that I encourage everyone—all of us and everyone in the audience—to do. It’s so easy to just drop into this present moment with a few nice deep breaths.
I invite you to get comfortable. It’s only going to be 30 seconds long. Everyone can do it. Get comfortable. Feel your feet on the ground—maybe you’re sitting; I happen to be standing. If you’d like to close your eyes, you’re welcome to do that.
Just take in one nice deep breath in, and breathing out.
Breathing in, breathing out.
Just feel your body—whatever you’re in contact with—breathing in, breathing out. Maybe it’s your feet on the floor or how you’re sitting. Feel the ground wherever you can feel the ground. Breathing in, breathing out.
On this next breath, breathing in, just breathe out a little longer—a little extended exhale. Let’s try that again: breathing in, and the long breath out. Feeling your body, feeling what’s around you. Breathing in, breathing out.
I’m going to play the chime and just listen to the sound as it fades away. Breathing in, breathing out.
Okay, thank you. That helped me get a little more grounded before giving a short talk.
It is so important to take care of yourself. If the cabin loses air pressure, put your own mask on, then help your children. We just can’t overemphasize that.
I’m going to offer a framework. At Gateway Mountain Center, we work with some of the highest-need youth in our community. For eight years, we’ve been doing a therapeutic mentoring program, really helping kids who have serious emotional disturbance. That’s not really the topic tonight—the topic tonight is for all parents and all children—but we feel, in our experience, that we’ve developed a framework useful for all parents.
So, I’m offering kind of a thousand-foot view framework around how youth can develop a stronger sense of self. With a stronger sense of self, they have more resilience, and I do think this applies across all ages. Our work tends to be in the adolescent and teen area, although we do have some kids as young as five or six. The sweet spot for us is probably fourteen, and I know a number of our panelists really work with younger kids as elementary school counselors.
I’m going to offer a little bit pertaining to adolescents and teenagers. We’re Gateway Mountain Center, and we do work with high-need youth, as I said—kids who have had serious adverse childhood experiences, complex trauma, maybe learning differences, some with substance use issues. Our program is called Whole Hearts, Minds, and Bodies, but we also do a lot of programming in the school district: enrichment programs for special ed, wellness programs, and alternative ed.
Our framework we call “Four Roots for Growing a Human,” and I’m just going to briefly go through these.
Our most important root, number one: Authentic Relationship.
This is such a challenge during these times when we were told to shelter in place. We’re scared of each other in a certain way. We’re not in contact. It’s the hardest thing. I like to say human beings ultimately are cuddling monkeys. We are supposed to be connected. Children need this. Parents need this. All humans need this. It’s been so challenging to navigate these times—to be healthy, to be emotionally sound—when we’re not able to have touch as much or be connected as much.
Authentic relationship across all ages. One thing I’ve noticed—I’m a grandfather, and also a parent—but as a grandfather, this has really changed. I think parenting has gotten a little more intense and a little more safety conscious and controlling.
I’ve noticed when I take my grandson to the playground—when I was a little kid in the ’60s, our parents were way over there, and we just worked it out. Today, my grandson and another five-year-old hit the ladder for the slide at the same time. They don’t even get a chance to work through it. There are parents there to mediate, to referee, to say, “She was first,” “He was first.”
I think that’s just an interesting reflection. Our kids, to really develop social-emotional skills, need the practice of engagement. I encourage parents to reflect on that—how can you keep your kids safe but foster a little bit of freedom for them to learn?
I was with another grandparent, Eileen Newton, at KidZone, and we just sat back and watched it all happen. It’s super fun.
Authentic relationship in adolescence is so key. When parents call me asking for advice, I find it useful to ask them to imagine how we lived 2,500 years ago. There’s very little evidence we’ve evolved much in that time neurologically. We would have lived in a small band of 45 to 60 people in deep interdependent connectivity. In modern society, we don’t have that, but adolescents are still seeking that kind of authentic relationship with other adults.
They are hardwired for that. They want to learn from other tribe members. This is a really important point. When we see kids who struggle but make it through, the number one factor—shown in many studies over the last 40 years—is that they develop a consistent, caring relationship with a non-parental adult. This is key.
We think the nuclear family has to be everything, but kids want to learn from other adults. It really helps adolescents and teens when a parent helps open those doors. Kids have to find their own passions and interests, but I think we need to do a better job of that. It’s so hard during a pandemic; there’s so much less of that. But when something is lacking, we can look for ways to rebuild those connections.
Authentic relationship.
Connecting to Nature.
It is now proven empirically—they can do blood tests—that when you’re out in nature, your immune system is strengthened. We take it for granted living up here, but a lot of the kids we work with, as they get older, do not have a relationship with nature. They might see it out the window or drive by it, but if you spend three days on a backpack trip, your killer T cells—the backbone of your immune system—improve by 50 percent. That’s huge.
Thirty days later, they can do a blood draw, and you are still 20 percent improved over before you went out. So, a lot of us live near trees, but I’m talking about really engaging with nature. Kids are enriched by sensory input—sight, smell, sound, touch, patterns—the rustling of leaves, sunlight through trees, the sound of squirrels.
With the initial shelter-in-place orders saying “Don’t go outside, don’t go to parks,” I really think we overdid it, and we see suffering from that. I encourage all parents—little kids do it naturally, but adolescents stop doing it—to get outside and breathe in those terpenes coming off the forest trees. It’s really beneficial.
What we call Embodied Peak Experience—the flow state.
Little kids do this naturally; they just drop into that state when they play. As kids get older, they lose that connection. This is the present-moment experience of moving your body outdoors—walking on rough ground, kayaking in a lake, walking on logs, snowshoeing in the snow. Maybe there’s a little bit of risk—they’re walking on rocks, jumping off rocks, climbing trees.
Neurologically, the connection between the balance centers in our brain and our emotional regulation is strong. Brain scans show this correlation. When we help kids get in their bodies, as they improve their kinetic quality, their behavior improves. Their ability to regulate emotionally and have relationships improves. Through the body, we develop our sense of self.
Finding it doesn’t have to be rappelling off a cliff—it can be walking on rough ground in nature. Helping your kids find an activity they love to do. We know these have been limited during these times, so it takes extra effort.
Connecting with nature and embodied experience brings a sense of wonder or awe. I counsel parents—when their child starts experimenting with substances—I’d say wake that kid up at four in the morning, tell them in advance it’s going to happen, go out to the lake, kayak, and watch the sun come up. Meet the kids where they are and have those experiences together. That’s the natural high.
Embodied peak experience.
And the final piece of our framework: Helping Others, Connecting to Community through Service. Adolescents are seeking meaning. Back to the tribe frame—they want to be useful members of their tribe. They want to connect to community, and connecting through service is so beneficial.
I’ll offer a couple more things. This is a thousand-foot framework that we’ve found useful in building resilience.
One thing—a book just came out that I loved—called The Power of Discord. I want to bring this up. We worry about being perfect parents. The power of relationship actually comes from the ups and downs—it doesn’t work to have a perfect relationship. It’s the disconnect and reconnect that builds relational ability.
This book just came out a month ago by Ed Tronick, the psychologist who did the still-face experiment in the early ’70s. It’s a good reminder: kids won’t learn to walk unless they fall down along the way, and we won’t have great relationships unless we experience discord and repair. That’s what strengthens a real relationship.
Here’s a little diagram about this framework. It’s all about growing a sense of self. With a stronger sense of self, a child has more self-awareness and self-efficacy. All of this helps with emotional regulation, better relationships with family, and facing setbacks and challenges.
I offer this as an overarching framework. We are available at Gateway Mountain Center. We have a new youth wellness center. We’re doing pod learning programs. When parents are struggling and things get serious, we’re always available to take calls and give counsel. We’ll be contributing to the resource list.
Thank you very much. We’ll pass it back to the panel. I really appreciate being here tonight.
Thank you very much, Peter. Appreciate it.
As I mentioned at the beginning—though not everyone may have been on yet—we have a diverse group here from different fields, working with different age groups, from medical to school counseling perspectives, and Rebecca at the Children’s Center for the hospital.
Some of this discussion will be a little broad because we have a diverse group and likely a diverse set of parents here with different challenges. Please start typing questions in the chat box—we’ll get the discussion going.
Jonathan, I’ll start with you. Did you have anything you want to add to Peter’s talk?
“Well, I think like you said, Peter, any of us could add—it’s such a broad topic. I think it’s important. I think one thing to understand when we talk about resilience in children is that sometimes resilience is actually our adult misinterpretation of how children respond to stress. Because they are not fully developed—their amygdalas and stress responses are not fully developed—they may behave in ways that adults interpret as managing something okay, or that they are fine, or not feeling what we fear they might be. That may not be the case. Sometimes small events follow us for a long time.
I’m sure all of us adults can think back to a person in middle school that, three decades later, if we ran into them at the grocery store, we’d still have this visceral reaction.
So one thing I think is important—and we talked about this last time and it’s a constant theme—is communication. Just talking to each other. So many problems can be solved by engaging and talking.
We can talk more about this, but we need to engage with our kids, ask questions, share appropriately for their developmental stage. Peter covered a lot really well and did a great job explaining the difficulties, especially with adolescents.”
Absolutely, yes. That brings us to our next topic—communication.
I’m going to turn it over to our school counselors. Jess, do you have any recommendations? One of the challenges I’ve seen when asking parents about their struggles—especially during the few months of homeschooling—is communication with kids. Parents are now teachers too. They’re wearing multiple hats, some working at home. What communication skills or strategies would you recommend to a parent having a hard time getting through to their child or setting up structure for schooling at home?
“That’s a lot of questions—that’s a lot. I’ll do my best to answer all of them.
First, thank you for inviting me. I’m really excited you’re putting this on for the community. Like Peter said, I’m happy to be on the panel with all these great folks.
So, I’ll speak from an elementary perspective—TK through fourth grade, about four to ten years old. Some neuroscientists say if it’s good for one brain, it’s good for all brains, so even if you’re a high school parent, this applies too.
I also want to say I get how difficult this is. I have two small children—a four-year-old and a one-year-old—and my four-year-old will be doing TK at King’s Beach Elementary this year. So I get it, experientially and cognitively.
For little ones, it’s funny—humans love to use language to communicate, and that can be great, except little people don’t have that language part of their brain developed yet. And if we’ve experienced trauma—which this global pandemic certainly is—that can affect the language part of the brain.
Communicating with little people means visuals, not words. Less is more. Drawing it out visually works better. It’s why you say, “Brush your teeth every night,” and kids look at you like they’ve never heard it before. Setting up a visual schedule with pictures helps, and practicing beforehand is more effective than just talking it out.
Especially for our little people.
I kind of forgot some of the questions you had, Liz—did I answer?”
That’s perfect. It’s about communication strategies and skills, and I love that you mentioned visuals for the younger group. That’s wonderful advice.
Cathy, do you have anything to add? You’re also working with the same age group—communicating what’s going on in the world and helping kids be successful with school at home, and maybe talking about the lack of social interaction they’re used to—little kids running and playing together.
“Thanks for having me as well. I agree with Jess, Peter, and Jonathan.
Yes, it’s important that they keep communicating with their classmates if possible. Maybe set up a lunch bunch group where kids can meet—like I do at my school. On Fridays, kids can have lunch with the counselor and chat. Anything like that helps.
I also want to focus on parents taking care of themselves, because how you’re feeling affects how your child reacts. The more you can make a structured environment—get a desk or table where they’ll do their online learning every day—the better.”
