According to Dalton, Georgia mother Lynda Amos, her 13-year-old son will never be the same again. In 2023, the boy, having fallen into a coma, was in serious danger.
EMTs administered Narcan once, twice, a third time — no response. By the time he made it to the hospital, his heart had stopped. The clock was ticking.
“When he flatlined, that’s when they cut his clothes off and that’s when they found the vape,” Amos told Atlanta News First. “It was in his underwear.”
During Georgia’s 2022-2023 school year, there were 22,209 incidents of students disciplined for vaping statewide. In 2024, an estimated 1.63 million youths used e-cigarettes. It’s a national issue that’s affecting Georgia in a serious way. For Amos’ son, that meant weeks in a coma and waking up to the left side of his body being paralyzed.
Credit: NYT
Credit: NYT
For vape users still looking for a New Year’s resolution, here are five tips on how to quit:
Commit to the quit
According to smokefree.gov, the first step is to commit. Choose a date to fully quit vaping. The date should be no more than a week or two away, as you don’t want to give yourself more time than necessary to avoid potential distractions. Don’t choose a date to quit that will already be stressful, like the day before a big test.
Set an alert on your phone or circle the date on your calendar to fully commit.
Plan for quit day
The American Heart Association said it’s also important to plan for your quit day. Make sure you have healthy snacks available. Fruits, nuts, gum — they can help relieve stress. It’s also important to ensure your day is filled with fun activities, like going to a movie or taking a walk.
Once quit day has begun, kick things off by getting rid of every vape you own.
Call a quit coach
According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, help is just a short call away. By dialing 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), vape users can speak to a trained quit coach for advice and support.
“If you are using e-cigarettes to help you quit smoking, it is important you also make a plan to quit vaping,” the CDC reported. “There is no safe tobacco product. Use of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, carries a risk. Quitting use of all tobacco products is the best way to protect your health.”
Get daily support
University of Oxford and UMass Amherst researchers, as they explained to The Conversation, discovered a text-message program that was effective at assisting teen vape quitters. This Is Quitting sends users daily, automated text messages of support.
Know what to expect
Cravings are common, so be prepared to resist.
“The first few weeks of quitting vaping are usually the hardest,” according to smokefree.gov. “Take it one day at a time. You may face some challenges along the way, but knowing what to expect and being prepared can help.”
“Learn your triggers,” it reported. “Certain people, places, feelings or situations can cause you to want to vape. It’s important to know your triggers. It may be best to avoid situations that can trigger you to vape when you’re in the early stages of your quit.”
Is vaping safe? Here are the health risks
The main reason people should consider quitting vaping is that vaping poses numerous health risks. Simply put, vapes can be dangerous.
Credit: NYT
Credit: NYT
According to a study from Atlanta’s Emory University, secondhand vape exposure alone can disrupt dopamine levels, damage cells and cause inflammation.
“Many people who smoke have switched to using e-cigarettes, thinking it’s safer for them and others nearby,” Jeannie Rodriguez, PhD, RN, associate professor at Emory’s School of Nursing and lead author of the study, said in a news release. “However, there are chemicals in the liquids used in a vape that are hazardous for you and those that you care about who are exposed to the vapors you exhale.”
The CDC reported over 2,807 cases of vape-relate lung injuries and 68 related deaths were reported in the United States by 2020. As Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease director of clinical research Michael Blaha explained, research has suggested vaping can lead to negative health outcomes for the heart and lungs.
“People need to understand that e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous to your health,” he told Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Emerging data suggests links to chronic lung disease and asthma, as well as associations between dual use of e-cigarettes and smoking with cardiovascular disease. You’re exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we don’t yet understand and that are probably not safe.”
So, vape users, are you up for one final 2025 New Year’s resolution?
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