It's past time to put an end to youth vaping. FDA needs to step up | Opinion

We, as a society, are past the point of vaping being a new trend. It is now an epidemic for our young people with unfortunately no end in sight if we don’t take action now. According to the Truth Initiative , more than 60% of teens believe that the occasional use of e-cigarettes will cause little to no harm. As an educator, youth advocate, and member of the Cincinnati School Board, I see this firsthand on a daily basis.

The Cincinnati Enquirer did a six-month investigation into youth vaping and found that 1 in 3 Ohio high schoolers have tried vaping, and 1 in 5 high school students use e-cigarettes or vape on a daily basis. Our young people appear to be unaware of all of the damages that come with smoking e-cigarettes. We’re talking about potential damage to multiple organs, including the heart , lungs , and brain. The U.S. Surgeon General says that prolonged vaping at a young age could also lead to lifelong addiction to electronic cigarettes as well as alcohol use and use of other substances.

Enquirer editorial: Ohio teens would stop vaping if tobacco were the only flavor. Ban flavored vapes.

A report from the Reagan-Udall Foundation looked into the Food and Drug Administration’s lack of timely response. Over the course of nearly three years, the sale of disposable vapes more than doubled from 24.7% to 51.8%. The foundation found that sweet flavors make up about 80% of the market. The Centers for Disease Control reports that, in 2022, 2.5 million children used e-cigarettes, including 14.1% of high schoolers and 3.3% of middle school students. Of the students vaping, 85% of them used products in enticing flavors, such as desserts, candies, fruits and other sweets.

The Enquirer published in its investigation that "half of all local tobacco retailers cited in the past few years for selling to minors are located within 1 mile of a middle or high school." In the city of Dayton , The Truth Initiative found that there are electronic cigarettes near the items kids look for most– candy, ice cream, soda, and even toys.

The FDA’s response has been not only sluggish, but minimal, when it comes to this issue. The FDA banned pod-based e-cigarettes in 2020, but didn’t apply that ban to disposable vapes. There have been 23 e-cigarette products authorized by the agency, but nearly 6,000 disposable electronic cigarettes are now being sold in stores. This represents a 1,500% increase in products within approximately four years; in 2020, there were just 365 products on shelves. Illegal electronic cigarettes are still widely available online and stocked in stores, including disposable and flavored vapes which are the most notably popular items among young people.

These products are easy for children to hide and parents are clearly unaware of what is going on right under their noses. They are addictive and impacting not only our children’s daily lives, but their futures. The time is past due for the FDA to step up, enforce their own rules, and keep these products out of the hands of our young people.

Kareem Moncree-Moffett serves on the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: It's past time to put an end to youth vaping. FDA needs to step up | Opinion