This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
Published on December 18, 2019, a study revealed a concerning trend among teenagers: a significant increase in marijuana vaping. According to Silvia Martins, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, this rise could be linked to the perception that marijuana vaping is less harmful and less risky.
Experts point to the role of technology in shaping teenage drug use. The sleek electronic devices that deliver nicotine and marijuana, often glamorized on social media and streaming videos, have become increasingly popular. The Juul device, for instance, is often referred to as the 'iPhone of e-cigarettes.'
Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), attributes the appeal of these devices to their new technology. 'One of the reasons they are embracing these devices is because they are new technology. It resonates,' she said.
However, technology may also be contributing to the decline in the use of other drugs. Dr. Martins and Dr. Volkow have hypothesized that some teenagers are partying less because they are spending time stimulated by their devices and communicating with one another over social media, rather than in gatherings where they might have encountered alcohol or drugs.
Dr. Volkow expressed concern that teenagers are being misled by the perception that marijuana vaping is harmless. 'Less and less do kids feel it is harmful to smoke marijuana regularly,' she said, adding that she regrets the spread of 'the freedom of misinformation.'
