EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of five stories examining teen vaping.
A local doctor and his staff are making it a mission to warn teens, their parents and educators about the "epidemic" and long-term effects of vaping.
Texarkana Emergency Center staff have spoken to students at approximately 40 area schools to try and educate them about the dangers.
"This is an epidemic. It's scary. Unfortunately the earlier they try this, the earlier they're going to be addicted to nicotine and the more chance they'll have of using combustible cigarettes. That's what makes them a customer for life for the companies selling these products," said Dr. Matt Young, emergency room doctor and physician owner of Texarkana Emergency Center.
"We're volunteering our time to try to get the warnings out about the dangers of vaping and e-cigarette use. The reason we focused on teens is we know that one in five high school students use vapes and one in 20 middle school students use vapes," he said. "We've been trying to get the word out and to give them the knowledge to make wise decisions."
E-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems are a booming, $2.5 billion business in the United States annually but vaping-related health problems are starting to come to light the longer they are in use.
Concerns are growing about the impact vaping will have on the minds and bodies of the nation's youth.
Vaping has been touted as a healthier option compared to cigarettes for smokers who are trying to leave traditional tobacco products behind. But for many teens and young adults, vaping serves as the gateway to nicotine addiction.
Nicotine is an addictive substance found in tobacco plants. It is a central nervous system stimulant that produces physical and mood-altering effects in a person's brain, which are temporarily pleasing. Seeking that feeling again and again can lead to dependence.
The juices used in vapes have a variety of chemicals, many of which are known to be dangerous or cause cancer, but nicotine is the chemical component that keeps people coming back for more.
"Some vapes don't have nicotine but the ones that do have a more potent, smoother, more addictive form of nicotine than cigarettes do," Young said.
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How nicotine affects the brain
Nicotine used at a young age can have a lasting impact on a teen or young adult's brain development.
"Youth and young adults are also uniquely at risk for long-term, long-lasting effects of exposing their developing brains to nicotine. These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning," according to information on the Surgeon General's website.
Young fears that developing a nicotine addiction early in life will leave this vulnerable population more likely to turn to other substances.
"Nicotine can lead to addiction which also primes the youth brain for addiction, not only to nicotine but other things such as marijuana, alcohol, cocaine or other illicit drugs," he said.
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How heart and lungs are affected by vaping
Vaping also has negative effects on the heart and the lungs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a statement about the first known death related to an outbreak of severe lung disease in people who vape.
"This tragic death in Illinois reinforces the serious risks associated with e-cigarette products. Vaping exposes users to many different substances for which we have little information about related harms including flavorings, nicotine, cannabinoids and solvents," Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC director states in a news release.
"CDC has been warning about the identified and potential dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping since these devices first appeared. E-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products," Redfield concludes.
The number of severe lung illnesses being linked to vaping is concerning. As of Aug. 22, there were 193 potential cases of severe lung illness associated with vaping, according to the CDC website.
"What we're seeing now is a bunch of adolescents and young adults with lung disease secondary to vapes or e-cigarettes," Young said. "What we know is it's not a water vapor. They are inhaling chemicals. The lining of our lungs is just like our skin. It is made to protect the lungs and body from external chemicals, viruses and bacteria. It's meant to be a barrier to help keep it from getting into our blood system. Vaping is destructive to that lung tissue, so it loses its normal integrity to protect us.
"When it loses that protection to tobacco or especially vapes, these chemicals that have never really truly been tested are damaging these adolescents' and young adults' lungs and causing terrible diseases that mimic a smoker with chronic lung disease that has been doing it for years. We are also seeing other lung diseases such as asthma in otherwise young, healthy patients that shouldn't have that type of lung disease."
The heart is also affected.
"As far as the heart, it increases blood pressure and heart rate. It can make you feel dizzy, weak and could potentially lead to seizures and cardiac or heart arrhythmia that could possibly be deadly," Young said.
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What parents and others can do to help
Young recommends parents talk to their children about the effects of using these products.
"Parents need to not be naive. They need to question their children. Again, remember these are easy to hide. Most of them look like a flash drive and the adults need to know this. We've really been working with schools so teachers will know what to watch out for. It's very easy to hide. A person could put it in their fist, use it discreetly and vapor comes out and dissipates quickly unlike cigarette or cigar smoke, which lingers much longer."
Some states are already raising the age to purchase tobacco products, but Young expects more changes on the horizon.
"I think most states are going to make it 21 and older. That's still too young. There needs to be more education and better regulation. We need greater regulations to protect people from these products including a true warning of what's in each and every one of them and a list of what it does to the body just like we have the warnings on cigarettes or tobacco products that say 'This causes cancer.'"
Researchers are still connecting the dots on what sort of harm vaping does to the body. Young expects those revelations to continue.
"Since it's relatively new - it started around 2007 - we don't have enough data but we know there will be long-term health effects. We know there are cancer-causing chemicals in these products. We know it can lead to cancer of the mouth and lungs and causes chronic lung disease," Young said.
Part of the issue is the way these vaping products are marketed. It can influence teens who've never smoked to try vaping. It's similar to how cigarettes were marketed before all the devastating health effects came to light.
"Because of the way it's marketed, they make it look like the in, cool, hip thing to do. I would just warn everyone to please get educated and get the knowledge before you try using any type of product that has tobacco or nicotine within it," Young said.
And for smokers interested in quitting, it's recommended that they visit with their family doctor and explore other options besides e-cigarettes.
"There have been combustible tobacco users who've been able to quit traditional tobacco products by using vapes or e-cigarettes as a temporary measure. If companies can find a safer alternative, we would all be in agreement that it would be an excellent tool to help a smoker quit smoking, but it's so new and we all know it's not safe. There are other ways to quit traditional tobacco. Check on programs from a health care provider that may include patches, gum, behavioral therapy or other options," Young said.