October 24, 2018

On today's show, Adrian talk about teen vaping.  Educators and U.S. health officials say teenage use of e-cigarette has reached "epidemic" levels.  Later in our Kid Hero segment, we look back at Bruce Gale's interview with Jacob Turobiner and his Aid for Hope organization.


Last month the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, declared e-cigarette use an epidemic among teens and gave manufacturers two months to come up with a plan for discouraging teen use of vaping products, and threatened to ban all flavored vaping products. The American Academy of Pediatrics is equally worried and urges the FDA to do more.

Teens are especially drawn to Juul because the device, which resembles a computer flash drive — and can fit in the palm of the hand.  When the device runs out of power, you can insert it into your computer via a USB charger for a reboot. Unlike most other vaping devices that stream clouds of scented vapor, Juul emits short puffs that quickly dissipate.  And that makes it difficult to detect in class.  Students are using it in bathrooms, the library and under their desk in class. The problem has become so big in some schools that USB drives have been banned.

Dr. Kirsten Hawkins, a pediatrician at Georgetown University Medical Center, says she is shocked at how quickly e-cigarettes are addicting a new generation to nicotine.  “It’s rampant among our high school and middle-school-age population,” Hawkins said. Many of her patients are already addicted to nicotine, she said.  

• 85% of teens who vape use flavored e-cigs.

• Kids who vape are 3x more likely to smoke cigarettes a year later.

• Kids are successful in buying e-cigs online 94% of the time.

• On average, there’s enough nicotine in 45ml of e-cig juice to kill ten children.

• From 2012 to 2015, calls to California poison control regarding e-cig nicotine poisonings in kids 5 and under increased 1870%.

Aid for Hope
Aid for Hope

On this week’s Kid Hero segment, Bruce Gale brings us an interview with Jacob Turobiner who assembles first-aid kits and distributes them to the homeless through his organization, Aid for Hope.  

Living in Los Angeles, Jacob saw that the homeless of suffer everyday on the streets. Los Angeles has one of the largest homeless populations. In the San Fernando Valley, there are more than 7,000 homeless persons. Of these, only about 20% have access to shelter. This leaves thousands on the streets, many with disabilities and health issues. Homeless individuals are at high-risk of injury on the streets, and therefore need supplies that keep them healthier.

Jacob learned that the homeless sometimes have trouble with blisters or just small scrapes and cuts that become infected and lead to bigger health issues. To help tackle this problem, Aid for Hope partnered with Hope of the Valley -- a non-profit organization that houses and supports the homeless in Southern California  -- to provide the homeless with first aid kits.  Delivering first aid kits to the homeless will enable them take care of the smaller things before they escalate into larger problems.