Pot vaping up sharply

Vaping of THC was linked last fall to a national epidemic of lung injuries that have hospitalized over 2,700 people so far. Sixty people have died.

In 2017, just 3.3 percent of Wasco and Sherman teens reported vaping THC. By 2019, it was 33.3 percent. Despite that huge increase, local vaping of THC is still below the state average, which went up from 11.2 percent of pot users in 2017 to 44.2 percent in 2019.

The survey also found that about 27 percent of Wasco and Sherman 11th graders had vaped in the past 30 days, which researchers consider an indication of regular use. Just four years ago, that number was 10 percent. That local number is higher than the state average of 21.4 percent.

The Oregon Healthy Teens Survey, which comes out every other year, asked 11th graders in Wasco and Sherman counties a range of health questions. The only school districts participating were North Wasco County School District 21 and Sherman County School District.

Vaping was declared an epidemic by the U.S. surgeon general in 2018, and last fall a vaping lung injury outbreak drew national attention, with reports of people being injured or dying from vaping.

Two students from The Dalles High School were taken to the hospital last fall after vaping, according to police logs.

The nationally reported tallies for vaping injuries include two deaths and 23 illnesses in Oregon.

Most cases were linked to the vaping of THC, particularly from informal sources like friends, family or online sources.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control found vitamin E acetate is strongly linked to the illness outbreak. Vitamin E acetate is an additive used by producers to increase their product.

Vaping devices heat a liquid to produce an aerosol that users inhale into their lungs.  The devices come in a variety of sleek forms, from ones shaped like USB devices or flash drives to vape watches.

There are thousands of flavors of e-liquids, the vast majority of which contain nicotine, the same highly addictive ingredient found in cigarettes.

Other e-liquids contain THC.

Debby Jones, Wasco County prevention specialist with YouthThink, said the data shows kids are taking advantage of new mechanisms for using pot, particularly vaping and dabs, which were the two highest increases locally. Dabs are highly concentrated, waxlike doses of THC that are heated, and the resulting smoke is inhaled.

“We don’t have more kids using it, the kids that are have more ways to use it and abuse it,” she said.

Steps like banning flavors of vape “are really important because that’s one of the easier ways for kids to get it. But we have to get ahead of it, the industry is always ahead of us,” she said.

A bill in the Oregon Legislature would ban all flavored nicotine vapes. The ban wouldn’t include marijuana vapes.

“At some point making money has to be less important than the health of our children, and that to me is the biggest challenge,” Jones said.

“Anything addictive is all about, on the other side, somebody making money, be it opioids, gambling, porn, you name it,” she said.

The data from Wasco and Sherman counties are reported together because they are part of the three-county North Central Public Health District. Gilliam County is also in the district, but did not participate in the latest survey.

For more information on vaping, visit SmokefreeOregon.com or www.youthnow.me/schools.