COLUMBUS, Ohio — A post circulating around community Facebook groups and law enforcement pages is calling on parents to be aware as kids head back to school. The post shows a vape cartridge holder disguised to look like an ink pen.
Devices that look like office supplies and other common objects are becoming more common and can be difficult to spot. The online seller that makes the devices that look like ink pens also sells ones that look like key fobs.
Researchers at the Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital have been studying the effects of vaping among kids. Their studies found that youth vapers are susceptible to respiratory issues such as shortness of breath and bronchitis symptoms. Those symptoms are found in users who do not also use cannabis or traditional cigarettes.
Every year, the Food and Drug Administration conducts the National Youth Tobacco Survey. The survey found tobacco usage among high schoolers decreased, but increased among middle school students. More than 2.1 million students, or about 8%, reported using vapes. That only accounts for the students who participated and answered truthfully.
Last year, the FDA attempted to crack down on vape retailers. By August 2023, the agency sent 15 online retailers warning letters over selling unauthorized e-cigarette product packages to appeal to younger consumers.
"Protecting our nation's youth from the harms of tobacco products is crucial to our center’s public health mission. The agency has an array of enforcement tools at our disposal, and we’re committed to using them as appropriate. We will not stand by as bad actors place profit over the health of our nation’s youth,” said Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.
According to the FDA, the use of vapes reached a peak in 2019 with more than 5 million U.S. students admitting to using them.
According to a 10TV investigation in 2019, that year several districts across the state installed vape detectors. Hilliard City Schools spent more than $3,500 on vape detectors and Olentangy Local Schools approved spending more than $64,000 on the devices.
The FDA reports that vapes or e-cigarettes are the most commonly used kind of tobacco product, with disposable ones the most popular among teens.