Sara Siddiqui, MD, FAAP
E-Cig Chapter Champion
Sara Siddiqui MD, FAAP is pediatrician in Huntington. She is Co-chair of the Legislative Advocacy Committee and Chapter Champion for Vaping Awareness and Cessation for NYS AAP Chapter 2.
If you have or take care of children above the age of ten, I can rightly say that they have been exposed to one of the many Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). As we know, nicotine in ENDS products can be extremely addicting to those that are initially exposed under the age of 26. Nicotine salts found in ENDS products have an increased bioavailability in the adolescent brain. It can lead to addiction, anxiety, depression along with rapid heart rate, rise in blood pressure, headaches and irritability (1).
As a pediatrician and a mom, I have seen the professional and personal impacts of exposure to ENDS products. I first learned of the concept of electronic cigarettes from my son, a freshman in high school in 2014. Since then, I have been involved in schools, educational forums for parents, and legislation to remove availability of ENDS products, from the hands of those under twenty-one. I was honored to be the Chapter Champion for Vaping Awareness and Cessation for New York AAP Chapter 2. We have meetings and educational seminars with other pediatricians then share with our respective chapters. I have exchanged ideas and met some great people within our group. Two main objectives I had for my own chapter were to increase resources for helping adolescents to quit nicotine, and helping to promote alternatives to suspension for those adolescents found to be vaping in schools. As pediatricians, we are the first line when our patients disclose a history of vaping. A teen or young adult may need Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to successfully quit. All pediatricians should be comfortable in prescribing NRT. The New York State Quitline is one resource I have found to be of great assistance by using programs which include a quit coach, online resources and a Text to Quit® program. As a member of the NYS Quitline Healthcare Task Force, I was invited to participate in a recent webinar entitled “Addressing Nicotine and Tobacco use in Youth and Young Adults”, which also included resources for pediatricians and parents to aid in prevention and quitting.
The Clear the Vapor 2022 conference, a fabulous online event put together by Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes (PAVe), included a session I was asked to moderate. Four delightful adolescents and young adults shared their heartbreaking stories about nicotine addiction and ultimately a successful path to quitting. It was an eye-opener as to how easy it is for our youth to not only obtain vaping products but to become unknowingly addicted.
When children are addicted, they need to be led towards ways to help them quit with multiple areas of support. Children who get caught vaping in school are likely exhibiting signs of addiction. Tobacco Prevention Toolkit at Stanford Medicine has developed evidence-based interventions for teachers and administrators starting at the elementary school level to start pathways to encourage rehabilitation and resources for quitting, along with learning modules to prevent starting. I am proud to be the New York AAP Chapter 2 Champion for Vaping Awareness and Cessation. I am hopeful to continue helping to increase awareness of the dangers of ENDS products in children and help our young people avoid starting usage of ENDS products — a journey I will continue for as long as I can!
Reference:
- “Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults,” https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html