Decreasing Youth Vaping in ND: Let’s Put an End to ENDS

In recent years, vaping has been popular among youth. Did you know that nearly 40% of North Dakota high school students have tried electronic vapor products?¹ This number has surpassed cigarette use in North Dakota high schoolers and continues to be a concern in the state.

There is a profound and demonstrated negative health impact that commercial tobacco use has on the physical and mental health of those using these products. Smoking, whether it be a cigarette or a vape, damages nearly every organ in the body.²

We are learning new things every day about the harmful effects of vaping, including the emissions from vaping products or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). For example: Using tobacco and other forms of nicotine, such as vaping, during your youth wires the brain for a lifetime of continuous addiction.

FAST FACTS

Vaping -> Smoking
Youth and young adults who have ever used e-cigarettes are seven times more likely to become smokers than youth who have never vaped.³

Mental Health
Nicotine use impacts mental health. A cross-sectional study of 30,000 current e-cigarette users found that frequent vaping increases their odds to be 2.4 times more likely to have diagnosed depression.³ Nicotine use is also related to increased stress levels and anxiety.

Data
Of all the tobacco and nicotine products North Dakota high school students have tried, vaping has been the most tried product among North Dakota high schoolers from 2015 to the present.

It is vital that North Dakota youth are provided with education and quitting resources to reverse the trend.

The following programs offer free assistance in North Dakota to help you or your teen quit all nicotine products, including ENDS.

NDQuits
NDQuits successfully serves more than 3,000 North Dakotans every year. The leading resource for North Dakotans seeking assistance to quit smoking or nicotine use, this program offers free service to help you quit your way.
• 1-800-QUIT-NOW
• hhs.nd.gov/ndquits

My Life My Quit
NDQuits supports individuals of all ages who want to quit, but also has specific tools available to youth and young adults who are ready to be tobacco-free through the My Life, My Quit program. This is a free, confidential program that helps teens ages 13-17 quit vaping and other tobacco products.
• Text “Start My Quit” to 36072 to learn more.
• My Life, My Quit™ ND

This article was adapted from the 2021-2023 State of Tobacco Control in North Dakota. To learn more about North Dakota Tobacco Control efforts, the report can be found here: ND SYNTHESIS REPORT.

Resources
1. 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YBRS)
2. BIDA. 2021, April 12. What are the physical health consequences of tobacco use?
3. FDA, Health Effects of Tobacco Use