Canadian health groups strive to hold the government accountable for regulating an industry that has captivated youth to the detriment of their health and development.
What was intended as a “safer” alternative to smoking for adults who consume nicotine has become a rising fad by teens. Some say the climate created by the lack of regulation is creating a nicotine-dependent generation at risk of serious respiratory illness not the least of which is lung damage and disease.
Vaping and Teens
The health crisis’ figures may seem alarming. One in four teens aged 12 to 17 has tried vaping, according to a recent Health Canada report, with a 74% rise for teens ages 16 to 19 in just one year.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has scrambled to assess their lung damage outbreak which has reached a staggering count of 530 cases as of Sept. 19. People who vape are sometimes ending up hospitalized, with 50 per cent of them young people. By November 21 there had been 50 deaths. Canada also has multiple cases including one London Ont. teen who ended up on life-support after using vaping products earlier this year.
Tiffany Persaud – Bramptonist – December 9, 2019.