I'm a nurse practitioner based in Carlisle, where I own and operate Peaceful Balance Health and Wellness Services, P.C., a direct primary care practice.
I have worked as an NP for 30 years, providing care to thousands of patients. I’m also a mom of two wonderful adult kids and a grandma to six beautiful grandchildren. I’m writing to address a major public health problem that deserves more attention: addictive, illegal e-cigarettes, commonly known as vapes.
The fight against teen tobacco use is one of the biggest public health battles of my lifetime. It was a huge success – until recently. Today, our country is on track to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Cigarette smoking dropped dramatically among teens in grades 9 through 12 from 1991 to 2021 . In 1991, 28% of teens were occasional smokers, and 13% were frequent smokers. Fast forward 30 years to 2021: only 4% of high schoolers were occasional smokers, and just 1% were frequent smokers.
This success was the result of parents, schools and public officials working together for years to warn kids about the dangers of tobacco use. Now, thanks to illegal vapes, all that progress is under threat. In 2020, the FDA mandated that all e-cigarette products must apply for and receive regulatory approval to remain on the market.
To date, the FDA has only approved 34 e-cigarette devices, all of which are either tobacco or menthol flavored. Any product that doesn’t have authorization is on the market illegally – meaning th.