Youth vaping now widespread, psychotherapist warns

Vaping has become a widespread and troubling issue among teenagers, with flavours, colourful designs and easy accessibility driving its popularity, according to child and adolescent psychotherapist Nicolette Williams of Verdun House.

Research conducted by the substance abuse charity over the past four years in secondary schools has revealed alarming levels of vape use among young people, Williams told reporters on the sidelines of a grant presentation to a number of charities from Ross University on Tuesday. 

“So vaping is a very widespread action that you see a lot of young people doing,” she said. “It is very casually accepted worldwide and now in Barbados we’re seeing that it is accepted as well, especially amongst young people.”

The appeal of vaping products often lies in their flavours and marketing, she said.

“The flavours, the colours of it, and the marketing of the vaping objects is something that really sells so that the young people can buy.”

Students involved in the research admitted they were often able to buy vaping products from shops despite being under age, she added. 

“We recognize that vaping is something that is widespread and it’s a very troublesome and problematic issue,” she said. “A lot of young people are thinking that it is cool but really and truly it is a problem to the physiology of the body, the mind as well because substances is a mood-altering drug.”

According to Williams, Verdun House teams have worked in more than six secondary schools across the island and met more than 2 000 students.

“These are specialised groups of youngsters who actually have other emotional challenges, substance use disorders, and they have admitted that they use substances and they vape.”

She warned that vaping is linked to a range of negative outcomes, including emotional, behavioural and physical health problems.

“Some of the impacts are emotional dysregulation. There’s a lot of anger that is coming from the using of vaping and substances, as well as a lot of demotivation,” Williams said. She added that medical complications, including lung, kidney and heart issues, have also been observed.

She also pointed to behavioural concerns, saying some young people become “dishonest” or resort to stealing to support the habit.

Calling for a broader national response, she stressed the importance of education in schools and communities.

“We need to be in the schools to educate not just the parents, not just the guardians, but the children and the teachers,” she said. “The impact needs to be wider and bigger, not just from the domestic house, but we need to go regional, we need to go into schools, and we need to go in the communities as well.”

(SB)