IN-DEPTH
Education about vaping in Springfield’s middle schools usually features two mirrors, a water spritzer and hair spray.
At first, students are asked whether they would allow either bottle to be sprayed into their mouth. Most students say they’d accept a dare for the water bottle, but not the hair spray.
Then the demonstration begins. One mirror is sprayed with water, while the other mirror gets hair spray. As the mirrors begin to dry, students are asked about what the mirrors will look like after drying for about 30 minutes.
After that, students see for themselves that the water-coated mirror dried just fine, while the hair spray mirror is coated in sticky goo.
“We make the connection about how some of the same chemicals in an aerosol hairspray are the same chemicals found in the aerosol base of a vape,” said Brad Brummel, health and engagement activities coordinator for Springfield Public Schools. “It makes that visual connection between how there’s no way they would spray hair spray in their mouth, but would they consider a vape from a friend.”
Vaping trending down, according to CDC
In a survey released earlier in November by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer high schoolers are vaping compared to last year — 10% of students said they used electronic cigarettes in the previous month, compared to 14% in 2022. The same survey also showed fewer high schoolers are using tobacco products of any kind, including cigarettes and cigars.
The information comes from the National Youth Tobacco Use survey, an annual report the CDC collects. This year, more than 22,000 students filled out the online survey to contribute data.
While there is a drop among high school students, the report also showed a slight increase in the number of middle school students who said they used at least one tobacco product a month. According to researchers quoted in an Associated Press report, that increase may be a one-year aberration, because that particular category is usually consistent between the two age groups.
A statewide survey shows a similar drop. According to the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s most recent student survey, tobacco use among middle and high school students continued a downward trend. The survey reported a 37% drop in e-cigarette use among Greene County students between 2018 and 2022.
Nevertheless, it’s data that school and health officials in Springfield are watching carefully. As the coordinator for the health curriculum, Brummel said he uses the data to ensure tobacco use prevention materials are getting to the right grades.
“To me, it emphasizes the importance of prevention, and starting as early as possible,” Brummel said. “It’s helpful for me to make sure that our prevention efforts and the curriculum are geared toward making sure that we’re giving that crucial information prior to when the incidents are happening.”
Vaping among youngsters still a problem
While national numbers are encouraging, Brummel and other health officials know teen use of tobacco products remains a problem.
Springfield Public Schools tracks all disciplinary actions for tobacco products under the same category — tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigarettes are not allowed inside school buildings.
The number of infractions in Springfield’s middle and high schools increased over the last two full school years, with 264 incidents in ‘21-’22 (101 at middle schools, 163 at high schools) and 383 in ‘22-’23 (138 at middle schools, 245 at high schools). So far in the current school year, 172 incidents have been tracked, with 46 at middle schools and 126 at high schools.
While the type of tobacco product is not tracked in that data, Brummel said most of the incidents deal with e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. The data also tracks only incidents, and not whether there are repeat violations from students.
Brummel said 10th graders lead the pack for tobacco use in the Springfield school system, with eighth graders not far behind.
2019 spike helped highlight dangers
Vaping among teens has been in a bright spotlight over the last decade. E-cigarette use spiked as the availability of vaping devices increased. A 2019 outbreak of respiratory illnesses that led to hospitalizations and deaths related to e-cigarette exposure led to a sharp increase in vaping prevention efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp decrease in vaping among teenagers, as students found themselves watched more closely by their parents.
Julie Viele, public health program representative for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said vaping causes significant health risks for teens that can lead to bigger problems as they age.
“Their brains are still developing, and are at risk for developing a nicotine addiction,” Viele said. “That can impact their learning, their memory and their attention. E-cigarette use can also lead to illness in regard to lung conditions, and can also lead to death.”
Viele said teens also put their overall mental health at risk when they use e-cigarettes, which can contain much more nicotine than cigarettes.
While the amount of research on vaping is not as vast as the amount of research for cigarette smoking, there is a large body of evidence about the effects of nicotine.
“We know that nicotine affects the brain, and how the brain develops,” Viele said. “E-cigarettes are also associated with mental health and symptoms of depression. We are seeing that teens turn to e-cigarettes to help them deal with stress and anxiety, which can create a cycle of nicotine dependency.”
While nicknamed “vaping” for producing a cloud that resembles water vapor, e-cigarettes actually result in an aerosol. An e-cigarette is a battery-powered electronic device — when activated, a small amount of liquid is heated by a small coil, creating an aerosol that is inhaled. The liquid is usually flavored, so that it can be tasted while inhaled.
Such products are widely available across the country, despite FDA attempts to regulate them. Fruity and sweet flavors marketed to teens were banned by the FDA in 2020 in reusable devices, such as Juul and Vuse. But that limitation did not apply to disposable products, which now account for more than half of total vaping products sold in the United States.
The FDA has tried to block imports of disposable products, such as Elf Bar and Esco Bar, according to Associated Press reports. But name changes and other tactics employed by vaping industry leaders have stymied those efforts.
If they can’t stop supply, maybe they can prevent demand
As federal regulators struggle to limit e-cigarette sales, Greene County health officials work to strengthen prevention efforts, hoping to reduce the number of customers and render the flood of devices unsold.
Brummel and Viele are co-chairs of the Greene County Tobacco and Vape Prevention Coalition. The partnership has been part of prevention strategies used inside schools.
Through grants, it secured drop-off boxes at each middle and high school. Students can use the boxes to anonymously dispose of vaping products. Brummel said it helps keep teachers informed about what the wide variety of vaping devices look like.
“We have the drop boxes and hazardous containers, so that when we collect them safely and appropriately,” Brummel said. “The coalition also offers free pickup to recycle those devices, so that they are not filling our landfills.”
Brummel said that both the chemicals and the components used to cook them into the aerosol are not safe for landfills, and require special handling for disposal.
The coalition also has put together Springfield Area Vape Education, which includes a website and other materials filled with information for students, parents, teachers and others. That website offers materials that are used as curriculum in health classes across the district, Brummel said — such as the water spritzer, hair spray and mirrors.
Vape prevention education in Springfield starts in sixth grade, Brummel said, but it’s a more specific application of general skills about decision making that begin as early as kindergarten. When it comes to vaping, Brummel said the lessons involve evidence-based, scientific details about the products.
Education helps parents, too
The vape prevention curriculum also extends to parents, he said. The coalition offers resources that parents can research, and also staffs tables at events such as a November SPS University — a resource event open to the entire Springfield community.
Brummel said parents have one of the most important roles in helping their children avoid a dangerous, yet relatively new, activity. The coalition helps get parents up to speed about what the devices look like and the substances inside them. Parents can also learn how easily teens can buy e-cigarettes.
Most importantly, Brummel said, help is available to children or parents who are already addicted to nicotine.
“There are cessation programs available,” Brummel said. “CoxHealth, Mercy, Burrell Behavioral Health all offer services. This is an addictive activity, and so if they are addicted, they need support and there is support out there to take advantage of.”
