>>> IN SEPTEMBER, MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR BAKER ANNOUNCED A
TEMPORARY YET CONTROVERSIAL BAN ON THE SALE OF VAPING PRODUCTS.
ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, THERE HAVE BEEN
MORE THAN 1800 VAPING RELATED ILLNESSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
37 DEATHS NATIONWIDE.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH ALANE BURGESS, OF THE MENTAL
HEALTH ASSOCIATION'S BEST LIFE CENTER TO DISCUSS THE EMOTIONAL
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS BEHIND VAPING.
>> A LOT OF KIDS ARE STARTING VAPING BECAUSE THERE'S A VERY
STRONG SOCIAL COMPONENT TO THE VAPING.
JUST LIKE WHEN A LOT OF US WERE YOUNGER, SMOKING CIGARETTES
MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE IN THING TO DO.
THAT'S TRANSITIONED NOW TO HAVING THE VAPING PRODUCTS WHERE
THERE IS SUCH A SOCIALIZATION AROUND THEM.
SO A LOT OF KIDS ARE STARTING VAPING, IT COULD BE MERE
CURIOSITY BECAUSE THEY'RE WITNESSING FAMILY MEMBERS OR
THEIR FRIENDS DOING IT.
THEY MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH SOME TYPE OF A STRESS OR ANXIETY
WHERE THEY'RE HEARING PEOPLE SAY, OH, I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER
AND SO MUCH MORE RELAXED AFTER I USE THE VAPE.
OR THERE'S THE SOCIALIZATION PIECE WHERE ALL THEIR FRIENDS
ARE DOING IT SO THEY'RE CURIOUS AND THEY WANT TO SEE WHAT IT
FEELS LIKE AND WHAT IT LOOK LIKE.
WE ALL KNOW WITH THE SOCIALIZATION PIECE A LOT OF
REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS ARE THINGS CAN HAPPEN WITHIN THE
CONTEXT OF BEING AROUND WHETHER IT BE A CIGARETTE OR THE VAPING
DEVICE.
SO KIDS ARE MORE PRONE TO BEING PART OF THAT SOCIAL CIRCLE AND
IF THEY'RE EXCLUDED FROM THAT THEY MAY NOT BE FEELING AS
THOUGH THEY'RE PART.
>> THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO DO IT JUST BECAUSE THE CROWD IS
DOING IT.
>> YES.
>> WHICH IS REALLY IN THE CASE FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS
THAT YOU FACE WHEN YOU'RE A KID, A TEENAGER.
SO THEY'RE NOT TURNING TO CIGARETTES BECAUSE THAT'S SORT
OF LIKE PASSE FOR THEM.
THE VAPING THIS IS THEIR NEW THING.
>> THIS IS THEIR NEW THING.
>> HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE THEM TO GO FROM SOCIAL TO ADDICTED?
>> IT'S DIFFERENT FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT WHAT THEY SHOW IS AFTER SOMEBODY HAS STARTED USING
PRODUCTS WITHIN THREE TO SIX MONTHS THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY
DIFFERENT STRUCTURAL CHANGES THAT START OCCURRING IN OUR
BRAIN, IN OUR SYNAPSIS THAT THEN START GOING TO THE ADDICTION
PIECE.
VAPING CAN ACTUALLY BE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER, BECAUSE FOR ONE
VAPE POD IS EQUIVALENT TO A PACK OF CIGARETTES.
AND THREE HITS OF ONE VAPE PRODUCT IS EQUIVALENT TO ONE
FULL CIGARETTE.
SO SINCE THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS OF
NICOTINE AND MUCH QUICKER ROUTE, IT'S ACTUALLY THE BRAIN IS
DEVELOPING MUCH MORE OF A STRONGER STRUCTURAL CHANGE THAT
VERY QUICKLY WILL THEN SAY, WELL I NEED THIS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN
THE STABILITY SO THAT I'M NOT FEELING WITHDRAWAL.
>> WHEN VAPING PRODUCTS WERE FIRST ROLLED OUT IT WAS USED TO
HELP PEOPLE GET OFF OF CIGARETTES, PEOPLE HAVE SAID IT
HAS HELPED THEM.
HAVE YOU SEEN THAT IN YOUR EXPERIENCE?
>> NOT AT ALL.
>> NOT AT ALL?
>> SO, WHAT IT HAS BEEN IS IT WAS DESIGNED AS YOU'RE SAYING
YOU'RE COMPLETELY RIGHT IT WAS MARKETED AS THIS IS A HEALTHIER
ALTERNATIVE OR THIS IS A WAY TO HELP YOU TO QUIT SMOKING BUT IT
WAS NEVER APPROVED TO BE ADVERTISED OR MARKETED AS ANY
TYPE OF A NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY.
WHAT IT WAS IS MORE OF A SUBSTITUTION DEVICE THAT REALLY
ALMOST GAVE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MARKETING STIGMA THAT THIS IS
SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER OR HEALTHIER.
AND WHERE IT HAS I BELIEVE REALLY SOLD TO THE YOUNGER
POPULATION IS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE THE SMELL OR THE OWED FOR
SO IT'S MUCH EASIER TO BE ABLE TO HIDE.
>> THEY DO IT IN CLASS.
RIGHT IN CLASS WITH THEIR LITTLU KNOW, JUST TINY LITTLE THINGS
THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T KNOW.
>> YES.
SO THE JUUL WHICH IS THE MOST POPULAR BRAND OF THE
E-CIGARETTES SHOWING 85% ARE USING THE PRODUCT.
THEY LOOK LIKE FLASH DRIVES.
SO IT'S VERY EASY FOR THE YOUNGER KIDS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE
THESE DEVICES INTO SCHOOL AND THEY CAN TAKE A HIT OFF OF THEIR
JUUL PRODUCT AND IT DOESN'T ELIMINATE THE CLOUDS OF THE
SMOKE THAT WE SEE WITH OTHER E-CIGARETTES DEVICES THEY CAN
VERY EASILY PUT THEIR SHIRT UP, BLOW INTO THEIR SHIRT THERE'S NO
SMOKE, THERE'S NO SMELL.
SO THE TEACHERS OR OTHER PEOPLE WILL -- WON'T EVEN BE TELL THAT
THEY'RE USING THESE DEVICES.
>> WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP FOR THEM.
THEY START WITH TOBACCO PRODUCTS BUT OBVIOUSLY COULD BE VAPING
NEXT IS THAT SORT OF LIKE THE NEXT LOGICAL THING THAT KIDS ARE
DOING?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND WHAT THEY'RE ALSO FINDING, TOO, IS ABOUT 75% TO EVEN I WAS
READING LAST NIGHT UP TO 86% NOW OF FOLKS THAT ARE USING THE
VAPING DEVICES, THEY'RE ACTUALLY FINDING THAT THEY ARE USING THEM
WITH THC, WHETHER IT'S THC SOLO AND/OR THC AND NICOTINE
COMBINED.
ABOUT 75% IS ACTUALLY THC BEING USED IN THESE VAPING DEVICES
VERSUS NICOTINE PODS.
>> THE GOVERNOR ENACTED A TEMPORARY BAN ON VAPING
PRODUCTS, VERY CONTROVERSIAL.
HE HAS HAD A LOT OF PUSHBACK ON THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO VAPING RELATED
DEATHS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WAS THIS THE FIRST RIGHT RESPONSE?
>> I THINK IT WAS A GREAT RESPONSE TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW US
TO REALLY BE ABLE TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT WHAT IS GOING ON AND
WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE GOING ON.
I THINK IT WILL ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MR.
CONVERSATIONS AND CERTAINLY NOW BE ABLE TO
ROOST TAKE THAT STEP BACK NOW THEY'RE NOT AS SAFE AS THEY WERE
ONCE MARKETED WHEN THEY FIRST CAME OUT AND CAN PROVIDE US THE
OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT QUITTING
THESE PRODUCTS ALTOGETHER WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR
QUITTING.
BUILT THE REALITY AND TRUTH IS, WHAT THEY'RE NOW FINDING IS FOR
ANYBODY WHO IS ADDICTED TO ANY PRODUCT, THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO
GO FIND IT WHEREVER THEY CAN FIND IT.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS, THEY'RE CROSSING STATE LINES GOING TO
CONNECTICUT.
SO NOW CONNECTICUT SALES FOR THE VAPE PRODUCTS HAVE TRIPLED.
THERE IS ALSO AVAILABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ORDER THESE DEVICES OR
THE JUICES ONLINE SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE, THEY
COULD BE DOING THE ONLINE SHOPPING AND THE ONLINE ORDERING
WHERE KNEES PRODUCTS ARE COMING DIRECTLY TO THEIR HOMES.
>> THE CDC IS REPORTING THAT MOST OF THESE DEATHS WERE
RELATED TO THC PRODUCT BEING USED IN THE VAPING DEVICE AS
WELL.
>> YES.
RIGHT.
AND WHAT THE CDC REPORTS IS THEY ACTUALLY SAY THIS THEY DON'T
KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT'S CAUSING.
AND THEY HAVE FOUND THAT IN ALL OF THE CASES THAT THC HAS BEEN
FOUND BUT THEY'RE NOT SAYING THAT THC IS THE REASON BECAUSE
THE PROBLEM BECOMES WITH ALL OF THESE JUICES, WHEN YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT E-CIGARETTES, OVER 15,000 DIFFERENT TYPES OF
FLAVORS AVAILABLE.
THE JUUL COMES WITH ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT FLAVORS AVAILABLE.
NONE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE REGULATED BY THE FDA AND THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY SELLING THE PRODUCTS, THEY'RE ALSO NOT
REGULATED TO LIST EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT THAT IS IN THESE
PRODUCTS.
SO THEREFORE, THE ONLY WAY THAT THE CDC IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO
DETERMINE WHAT MAY POTENTIALLY BE CAUSING THE DEATHS IS BY
DOING AN EXTENSIVE LABORATORY RESEARCH, BUILT THEY STILL DON'T
KNOW IS THAT THE VAPE, IS IT THE JUICES, WHAT IS HAPPENING?
WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE IS A LOT OF THESE
PRODUCTS ARE ACTUALLY PENETRATING MUCH DEEPER INTO OUR
LUNGS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THEY'RE PRODUCING WHAT LOOKS
LIKE CHEMICAL BURNS.
AND WITH THE CHEMICAL BURNS, IT'S PERMANENT SCAR TISSUING.
THE IMPORTANT THING I THINK ALSO THAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW IS THAT
THEY ALSO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS OCCURRING OVER
MONTHS OF USE, THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE SAYING
HAPPENS VERY RAPIDLY AND QUICKLY WITHIN DAYS.
SO SOMEBODY COULD WOMAN DOWN WITH WHAT FEELS LIKE PNEUMONIA
OR BRONCHITIS AND REALLY START HAVING AN INABILITY TO BE ABLE
TO BREATHE, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF PAIN F. THEY'RE
FEELING THAT, THE ADVICE IS GET TO THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY
BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE PNEUMONIA, IT MAY NOT BE A COLD.
BUT IT MAY ACTUALLY BE SOMETHING FROM THE VAPING PRODUCT THAT IS
VERY QUICKLY DETERIORATING IN THE PERSON'S BODY AND PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BE IN THE UCU WITHIN THREE TO SEVEN DAYS OF
THESE SYMPTOMS STARTING.