WAC Magazine

FEBRUARY | MARCH 2014

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Wellness By Michael Leon-Guerrero Tamela Thomas, Wellness Manager tamelat@wac.net 206.464.4639 What you don't know can kill you W hen you're a teenager, or working on your undergraduate degree, it's easy to ignore health advice. You feel like you'll live forever, and like you'll never get old. Ah, to be young! It's with this mind-set that many young people are getting swept into the hookah and e-cigarette craze. And why not? There is a powerful social aspect of sharing a smoke. There is no unpleasant taste, your clothes don't smell like cigarette smoke (thus making it easier to conceal smoking from parents if you're a teen), and it's healthier than cigarettes, right? What could be the issue with smoking molasses powder? Water vapor is the only byproduct. If there is anything harmful, the water will filter it out. Right? These are the kinds of statements you hear when talking with youth about the health effects of hookah and e-cigarettes. These well-repeated statements are all incorrect. Our kids are prime targets for these products. Misinformation is everywhere. As parents, we need to understand what these products are and what health risks they pose for our children. Read on! A new wave of smoking danger E-cigarettes and hookah lurk behind false messaging C onventional cigarette smoking may be on the decline, but electronic cigarettes and hookahs have become increasingly popular during the past several years—especially among young people. According to the 2012 Healthy Youth Survey, 15 percent of King County 12th-graders reported using a hookah in the previous 30 days. E-cigarette use among high school youth is also increasing at an alarming rate and almost doubled from 2011 to 2012, according to the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Both of these emerging products remain unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and come in a variety of candy and fruit flavors. Not only do flavored tobacco products appeal to young people, but they also help fuel the misperception that these products are safer than traditional cigarettes. For parents and anyone considering using these products, there is some crucial information you should know. MORE THAN VAPOR E-cigarettes, also called e-cigs, are battery-operated devices with cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor, and other chemicals. The tip of the e-cigarette often simulates the lit end of a cigarette while the user inhales a fine vapor from the butt end of the device. These high-tech gadgets come in a variety of styles, including some that look like ballpoint pens. They often feature candy flavors, such as chocolate and cherry, adding to the attractiveness to kids. 26 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | FEBRUARY / MARCH 2014

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