Teen Vaping: Edu Inc probes research into long-term health effects | Tendani Mulaudzi

Tendani Mulaudzi, guest · [02:52]So one of the girls that I interviewed, obviously I cannot use her name, but she is a 17-year-old who left long-term rehab after a year and went to a new school, and she had to use vaping as a way, firstly, to fit in, and secondly, for her anxiety, because there was a lot of stuff going on at home, and she says that the vaping made her feel less anxious. So in a study done by the University of Cape Town on the subject, they found that about 30 to 40 percent of teens used vaping as an anxiety coping mechanism.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [03:28]I think that might speak to a bigger problem in our society. And I wonder if it's not just a South African problem, but maybe a more global problem as well.

Tendani Mulaudzi, guest · [03:38]For sure, yes. I think that around the world they are seeing these patterns amongst teens. And in that, a lot of countries have actually passed legislation on vaping. So the UK is in talks about banning vaping, disposable vapes specifically. France has announced that they are also planning to do so. And then New Zealand, Germany, and Australia have passed various laws around vaping.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [04:48]I think for me, one of the bigger concerns, specifically, and I'm referring now to obviously to teenagers, because that's who we are dealing with in this. I don't believe any e-cigarette was ever intended for a teenager. I think they were intended for adults, but the reality of the situation is exactly what you said, Tendani, about the, it's cool, it's chic, it looks good, it tastes good, so I want to fit in with this. And the fear that I have over this whole thing, or the concern that I have, is that Other than the addictive side of things, it's what's happening in that teenager's brain in terms of what's being mapped while they are teenagers and all of that mapping is taking place. That level of addiction, this is something they're going to fight for the rest of their lives. This is not something that they can just pick up and put down. This is a long-term, decades-long addiction issue that's actually being instilled in teenagers, and I think people are, because they have this perception of, oh, no, it's not as bad as drugs, it's not as bad as cigarettes, they are conveniently pulling the rug over that side of this. Well, what about the addiction that's now in place? And as you were saying in your article, the average age for teen vaping is 15. I was chatting to my grade nine class about this last week and coming to do the podcast on vaping and just chatting to them about what their thoughts were. And one of my grade nines said to me that she has a friend who's 13, whose parents bought her the vape for her birthday. 13.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [06:18]I think that brings up one of the two main issues that I have with vaping. First of all, I think it's irresponsible of parents to do that kind of thing because they're sending the wrong message to their children. You're giving them a tobacco product. Nicotine is derived from that tobacco, and there's a reason that globally tobacco products are banned for sale to people under the age of eighteen. I think the second issue that I have is that we are looking at vaping in through the same lens as we do tobacco smoking. And while there are similar traits because of the nicotine product, the way that it's delivered, the way that the kids have accessibility to it, the fact that you could smell a smoker from a mile off, but you can't with vapers, we are going to, while looking at it through the same lens, realizes that, realize that it's an entirely different thing that we are combating at this point. The fact that kids can hide it in their sleeves, it can be odorless. It's just, you know, directly delivering nicotine straight to the brain, a teenage brain, and we know that nicotine addiction in teens is going to be a lifelong battle. Coming back to the parents, and something that I noted on the big vape, I think that it takes a village to raise a child, and while legislation can be put in place to stop the sale of nicotine products to kids under the age of 18, and there certainly needs to be responsibility from people and vendors that are selling it, and they need to be strict about it, there also needs to be parenting happening, and schools also need to be talking about the dangers of vape. I remember when I was at school, the way to discourage us from smoking was they brought in a whole lot of different lungs. And showcased the gross black tar lungs on, on stage. And that was meant to be, and it certainly was. I didn't want my lungs looking like that. But after living in Joburg, they probably do. But what are we going to do about vaping? Because there's such a cool factor about it. And one of the things that came out in the big vape was the 23-year-old that was hospitalized for vaping, saying, I'm not ready to give it up because it doesn't suit my lifestyle at this point. We have a lot of things to deal with here, not just the stigma of smoking. There's a, a lifestyle and an acceptance, a passive acceptance from parents, which shouldn't be in there as well.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [08:36]I think that's part of the, the, the challenge that parents are facing, because it's such a complicated issue. So the default, and again, you'll know this, Gersh, because we've heard this so many times in the office, where the parent says, As long as they're doing it under my roof with me under, you know, that I can see what's going on, then it's fine. That is terrifying for me.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [08:57]So let's put it in perspective. Nicotine is addictive. There's a reason why there's an age restriction on it. So, and it's addictive to the point that you can't not do it. Would you allow your children to drink vodka or whiskey to the point that they are addicted to it and can't live without it as long as they're doing it under your roof at the age of 13? Would you allow them to do cocaine, which is addictive as long as it's under the roof? You know, it...

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [09:21]Well, it's... How long is that piece of string? Because if you... If your 15-year-old is sitting vaping with you and you're now watching the rugby and dad's having a beer and the child says, can I have a beer with you? And he says, no, don't be ridiculous, you're 15. And he's going, but I can vape. So can we talk about that double standard?

Tendani Mulaudzi, guest · [09:38]For sure. And I think... You know, I think about my teenagehood and drinking. I started drinking at fourteen and it was the norm. And parents would say, as long as it's done under our roof and, you know, they can have a few drinks at a braai because we are able to see them, but we still went out and illegally got alcohol. You know, it doesn't stop me from leaving the house and doing it on my own. It actually enables me further. And the fact that you can also just walk up to a counter at any local grocery store and buy a vape, you know, these kids that I interviewed, neither of them had ever been ID'd when they go to the counter at spa or pick and pay or wherever. And they look young, you know, I, I feel like there should be some sort of discernment from the cashier that this person is not meant to be doing this. But again, it makes no difference if the parents are aware and are allowing it because these kids will still do it. By the way.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [15:20]It's a tricky one, and I'm going to go back to the sore point of when parents are saying that it's fine within the home, as long as it's with them. And the reality is that that can never be contained just within the home and under the roof of the home. That's not a realistic expectation.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [15:38]Yeah, Tendani touched on that itself, yeah.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [15:40]And hugely because of the level of nicotine addiction means that A fifteen, whoever it is who's vaping, they can't get through a six or seven or eight hour school day without their vape at that point. They need the nicotine in between. I mean, they're barely getting through a three hour exam if they are that addicted to the nicotine. So what's happening then is they are being forced into a position of becoming duplicitous, lying about it, they're being sneaky, they're doing all these things that we'd really rather not be having at school. And quite frankly, the parent who has said it's fine to do it at home has almost enabled that behavior because the protection has been lifted of, no, you are 15, I don't care what your friends are doing, you will not. And if I find you doing it, there will be consequences.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [16:27]And then we have kids who halfway through the school day are feeling sick and nauseous.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [16:32]Exactly.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [16:32]And it's a tummy ache, and then it's not really, it's nicotine withdrawal because they need to have a hit. It's nicotine withdrawal,

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [16:37]or it's the child who can't get through a single lesson without going to the bathroom because, of course, you know, as adults, we're not very bright in the mind of a teenager, so we don't recognize the pattern of every lesson having to sneak off to the bathroom. And as adults, we're too stupid to work out all the hiding places for the vapes and things. But the point is they've almost been forced into this level of duplicitousness because For every hour of the weekend or, or from when I get home until the next morning, it's fine for me to be vaping. So I can sit and vape all day, but that means I cannot get through it at school. There is never an instance where that's going to be contained within the home.

Tendani Mulaudzi, guest · [17:17]I also wonder, you know, just based on addiction and what addiction, what addiction looks like. I am in recovery myself and I know with addiction there's obsession, constant obsession. How am I going to get my next fix? How am I going to Get through the day and to sit in a lesson as a child and try to concentrate when those thoughts are going through your mind must be, it must be impossible for them to actually learn anything.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [17:48]It is impossible. In terms of what your brain's doing at that point and which part of your brain is active at that point, it is impossible. There is no way they are taking in what the teacher's teaching.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [18:28]I think what we need to start off as a departure point is that schools don't like expelling kids and they don't like suspending them. The, the magic wand for all of us is that the kids are behaving, there's no drugs, alcohol, bullying, vaping on campus, and that the kids are at school doing what they're supposed to do. Suspension is not the outcome we want, but there has to be a sanction for breaking the rules. And most schools just classify vapes directly under their code of conduct where it comes to tobacco use and tobacco products, and we've certainly followed the same stringent rules when it comes to that. If you get caught with a vape, first time, you're suspended for a week. The vape gets confiscated, and obviously there's a conversation with the parents. Fortunately, we have cameras everywhere in the school, so it's never really an issue when it comes to owning up to it. But as you say, I'm curious to know what those conversations are like at home if the parents do condone it, and how are they going to do it? Are the kids going to school with a nicotine patch now to get them through the day so they can vape when they get home again? So at Edu Inc, if a child is caught vaping, then they're suspended for a week. We call the parents in, and the conversation is pretty much around what we're having right now. It's just taking away from why they're here, and that is the learning, and it's disrupting that learning for themselves, and it's certainly not the outcome that we want. We are here to study, we're here to learn, and we're here to be educated.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [19:47]Yeah, it's a very difficult situation because the misinformation has resulted in such a lot of confusion around the safety, you know, as we've discussed. And essentially, if a parent is allowing vaping in the home, and then the child's being suspended for vaping at school, the parent is inherently complicit in the suspension. So how do you impose sanctions on the child, but the parent's going, oh, well, we got caught? It's a very difficult situation when you're trying to create a community that partners in the education of a child.