Dr. Steven Kelder offers recommendations to reduce youth vaping

Published: November 4, 2024

Youth vaping and e-cigarette use is an epidemic in the United States. According to data from the FDA and Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.25 million middle and high school students in October 2024 reported using any tobacco product in the last thirty days.

While the number has declined since 2019, Dr. Steven Kelder, professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin and founding member of the CATCH Global Foundation, said there are data-driven resources available to help further curb use among young people.

“There are two sides to this coin (of resources to help addiction). One is prevention. That’s what CATCH My Breath is. The other side is cessation. How do you help people quit?” Dr. Kelder said.

E-cigarettes and vapes are highly addictive, often containing nicotine. Long-term nicotine use can change the brain’s reward system and gene regulation, especially in young people. Furthermore, these products also contain propylene glycol, a substance often used to create fog at concerts and magic shows. Dr. Kelder said the particles are much smaller than those of combustible tobacco and can be inhaled much deeper into the lungs when they are atomized. Over time, use of e-cigarettes and vapes impacts the lung's ability to successfully exchange gases, resulting in respiratory insufficiency.

To support prevention, CATCH My Breath is one of several school-based programs that provides resources for students to learn about nicotine and its effects. CATCH My Breath has reached over 2 million students across all 50 states and Canada.

There are also alternatives like This Is Quitting, a text-based vaping cessation program that strives to take attention away from the anxiety caused by withdrawal symptoms and helps teens focus by asking them questions. Another option is the American Lung Association’s resource hub for helping teens quit vaping.

Dr. Kelder suggests educating parents, teachers, and other school personnel about the dangers of nicotine addiction and vaping will better equip communities to address the needs of teens who have become addicted.

“Let’s avoid the whole thing and prevent it” Dr. Kelder said.

Written by Mario Tovar Velasquez, Fall 2024 Dell Health Undergraduate Scholar