An expert from The Way Out Recovery SCV, an outpatient rehab in Santa Clarita, recently spoke to parents about the dangers of teen vaping during a community outreach event.

The first thing Bob Sharits wanted parents to know about vaping is that it comes in a variety of unexpected delivery systems, which can look like anything from a credit card to a USB drive. 

“They come in every shape and size,” Sharits said. “There are … so many ways for our kids to hide that they’re vaping and so many ways for people to do it right in front of you and not even know that they’re doing it, that if you’re not educated as a parent, please do yourself a favor and research.” 

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Larger delivery systems known as vape mods are also popular among teens, and rival the days when young marijuana users would “show off” decorative pipes and bongs to their peers in an effort to appear “cool,” according to Sharits.

“That’s what’s going on with those bigger products is, they have different designs and stuff engraved on them and they have gold-plated ones and different flavored juices and all this stuff that makes (teens) think, ‘Look what I got,’” Sharits said. “It’s almost like a vaping status symbol.”

In terms of the latest vaping statistics, Sharits provided parents with the following information, noting that many of these numbers are likely on the low end due to surveyed teens not being entirely honest:

• 37.3 percent of 12th graders use vape on a regular basis;
• There’s been a nearly 10 percent increase in vape use from 2017 to 2018; 
• One in 10 8th graders use vape products; 
• Nearly 67 percent of teens say vape products are “easy to get”; and
• There have been at least six confirmed deaths and 600 confirmed cases of severe lung illness as a result of vaping as of September 2019. 

“That is everywhere across the board — Santa Clarita is no different than anywhere else in the United States,” Sharits said. “37.3 is a huge number. Every teenager that we get (at The Way Out Recovery SCV), just about, uses vape, and what they tell me is every kid that they know uses vape.” 

Sharits told the story of a 15-year-old teen from Santa Clarita whose parents reached out to him about a year ago for help with his vaping. He noted that at that point, he had been “sold the lie” about vaping not being as harmful as other substances, and offered to work with the teen one-on-one in an effort to keep him out of formal treatment. 

“I had a real candid conversation with the parents and I said, ‘Look, is that all he’s doing?’ — because (I had) been sold the lie,” Sharits said. “I said, ‘To tell you the truth, most of our kids that come to us are doing far more dangerous stuff, and if you put him in this environment, I’m afraid that he may get exposed to other stuff.’” 

But after meeting with the teen and learning that he had been hospitalized four times that year for overdosing on nicotine, he realized, “Oh my God, this is no different than any other drug.”

Though Sharits had heard of nicotine overdoses, they were not common at that point, and he recalled asking the teen how he had overdosed so many times when vape products typically list the amount of nicotine they contain. 

Because the teen and his friends were too young to legally buy vape products, Sharits noted they would order pure nicotine juice online and mix it themselves with the fruity delivery juice of their choice. 

“They’re not chemists — they’re 15 years old,” Sharits said. “They are vaping stuff that they have no idea how much nicotine is in it. That’s his case… He needed an education on the dangers of nicotine — it’s poison. It will kill you.” 

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Another factor that could contribute to potential nicotine overdoses is the fact that vape products can be used for extended periods of time, unlike cigarettes, which a person can finish smoking in a relatively short amount of time, according to Sharits. 

“When you watch someone who vapes, pay attention to how they do it,” he said. “With vaping products, if you watch, it’s hit after hit after hit… If they’re in an environment where they can do it, then it’s nonstop.” 

One of the most dangerous parts of teen vaping is that it increases the likelihood of the teen moving onto other addictive substances and becoming “full-blown addicts,” according to Sharits. 

In addition, Sharits noted that parents who allow their teens to vape are teaching them that it’s okay to use a substance like nicotine to cope with life’s stressors, instead of teaching them healthy coping skills and how to say “no” in the face of peer pressure. 

“We need to teach our kids how to take deep breaths, how to get out and exercise, how to meditate, how to have talks with adults that will educate them, how to say no to peer pressure, how to have these healthy coping skills that are going to help them through life,” Sharits said. 

Sharits advised parents to pay attention if their teen’s room suddenly starts having a fruity scent, and not to believe the excuse that the teen simply has a new air freshener or is burning incense. 

“Most drug use starts between the ages of 12 and 17,” Sharits said, noting that today, it’s closer to age 12. “Do yourself a favor and find your resources where you can get more information… There are tons of educational resources and tons of ways to get help.”

Parents who are concerned about their teenagers because of vaping, other substance use or mental health issues can contact The Way Out Recovery SCV for more information and additional assistance by calling (661) 296-4444.

In Santa Clarita, drug issues are a major concern for many. The mission of The Way Out Recovery Outpatient Rehab in Santa Clarita is to provide high quality, effective alcohol and drug rehab outpatient services to the Santa Clarita Valley. The Santa Clarita rehab’s goal is to assist adolescents, adults and their loved ones in becoming happily and usefully whole, free from drug addiction. Those seeking alcohol and drug treatment in Santa Clarita, a drug rehab in Santa Clarita, a teen drug rehab or simply a “rehab near me” can rest assured that The Way Out Recovery SCV’s philosophy is to teach life-long coping skills and strategies to assist in improving quality of life and living happily and meaningfully without the need of destructive behaviors.

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