In the era of COVID-19, protecting the health of the lungs is a priority for all ages. However, many youths in Androscoggin and surrounding counties are putting themselves at risk for short- or long-term damage by smoking e-cigarettes or vaping. There are also dangerous relationships between vaping and COVID-19. First, vaping can speed up the spread of COVID-19, meaning more people get infected more quickly. And second, people who smoke or vape are more likely to get severely ill if they contract COVID-19, and they are more likely to be hospitalized or put on a ventilator.

Vaping is a serious community health problem that must be addressed through an integrated education, youth counseling and quitting program. That’s why St. Mary’s Health System and Central Maine Medical Center are collaborating with clinicians throughout Androscoggin County in a new evidence-based anti-vaping initiative. The initiative is funded through a grant from Covenant Health, St. Mary’s parent organization, and represents the first time the two hospitals have collaborated to address a community health need identified through the county health assessment.

Recent statistics point to the extent of the youth vaping problem in our community. According to the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey 2019, 45.3% of high school students have tried vaping. About half of them used nicotine the last time they vaped, and 28.3% currently use vapes — a significant increase since 2017. Statewide data from 2019 indicates that most Maine high school students who vape borrow or get someone else to buy their smoking products.

Younger students are vaping, too: 16.9% of middle school students have tried vaping and 6.8% currently use a vape — again a substantial increase over the past two years.

Vaping products often addict youth quickly — most vape pods contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, and more than half of Maine high school students (54%) are not aware that e-cigarettes contain nicotine at all. Vapes contain highly addictive nicotine salts, which are less harsh and easier to inhale than tobacco smoke. Even worse, the aerosols that youth take into their lungs when vaping contain many of the same cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco smoke, including diacetyl, nickel, tin, lead and propylene glycol.

While vaping poses many challenges, there are actions we can take. At St. Mary’s and CMMC, we have trained our leaders about vaping and heard directly from youth about why they use and the best ways to support them to quit. We are training our clinicians to ask more questions about vaping products in wellness visits and how to refer families to quitting resources tailored to youth or parents.

Here are some steps you can take: Set aside time to talk with your son or daughter, explain that vaping addiction can take away their ability to breathe and exercise, is costly and limits their future choices. Then, listen to what they say, offer your support and, if they are using, consider a reward as an incentive for quitting. Be alert for signs of vaping and remember that vaping can be difficult to detect. These devices emit little odor. Therefore, adults need to be alert for physical signs of vaping — such as coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain — or evidence of vaping devices such as vaping pens or refill pods.

Working together we can protect our youth and our communities from the dual threats of vaping and the coronavirus pandemic. Join us!

Steven C. Jorgensen is president of St. Mary’s Health System and Steven G. Littleson, DBA, FACHE is president of Central Maine Medical Center.