(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, the U.S. Supreme Court is looking into whether the FDA unlawfully blocked sweet and candy-flavored nicotine products. These kid-friendly flavors are being sold illegally and are driving a surge in e-cigarette sales.
We all enjoy sweets. But as a parent of four, I know how much kids love candy – it’s like moths to a flame.
Now, vapes are devices that heat a liquid and create a vapor you inhale. People call them different names—like vape pens, tanks, mods, or e-cigarettes—because they come in all shapes and sizes.
When you compare vaping to smoking, vaping doesn’t have all the toxins found in tobacco smoke. But let me be clear—it’s still not safe. Most vapes contain nicotine. For kids and teens, nicotine can harm brain development. It can affect focus, memory, learning, and impulse control. Vaping is also linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression in kids. It can mess with their mood and cause mood swings. It can even raise heart rate and blood pressure, which may lead to long-term heart problems.
But that’s not all. When people vape, they inhale toxic chemicals like diacetyl, which is a chemical linked to a serious lung disease. Vapes can also have cancer-causing substances, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals such as nickel and tin.
And let’s not forget—vaping is addictive. It can create dependency and even increase the risk of addiction to other substances.
Vaping among kids has gone down, but it’s still a big problem. In 2024, e-cigarettes were the most common tobacco product used by American middle and high school students. About 1.63 million students reported vaping—410,000 in middle school and 1.21 million in high school. Nearly 90% of them are using illegal flavored brands.
Here in Michigan, a 2023 survey found that 16.5% of high schoolers use tobacco. Most of them—13.7%—use e-cigarettes. More than half said they tried vaping for the first time when they were 13 or younger.
We know that many kids are drawn in by the flavors. So, if you’re a parent and worried, here are a few tips:
- Start talking with your kids early, and keep the conversation open.
- Help them understand the risks of vaping.
- Teach them how to handle peer pressure.
- Let them know that many kids who vape want to quit but find it hard.
- And if your child is already vaping, talk to a doctor for help.
The more we educate and support our kids, the better chance we have of keeping them safe from vaping.
