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On April 1st, we had the privilege to interview Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a developmental psychologist who specializes in pediatrics and substance abuse, in her office at Stanford. Dr. Halpern-Felsher is heavily involved in programs involving research on the effects of adolescent tobacco use such as the Tobacco Center's of Regulatory Science and has worked with local schools in the Bay Area to the prevention and education of tobacco. During our interview, we were able to inquire about a multitude of issues about her and the issues she was involved with.
How did you get involved with this issue?
"I have been studying adolescent tobacco use -- particularly cigarette use -- since early 1990's ... It's the one risk-behavior that I worry about the most. It's the most addictive. There is no safe nicotine, and that's why I got involved in [this issue] ... Ever since 2014 when we saw this rise in e-cigarette use, or vaping as you would say. That's when I really started moving towards that area, which is a natural extension of tobacco. E-Cigarettes are tobacco.
Would you say that E-Cigarettes have, in a sense, taken the place of regular cigarettes?
"From my perspective, I do. I think that adolescents probably would not use cigarettes, but that e-cigarettes have definitely become very popular."
This was a turning point in our conversation. She struck a chord with us and made a point that we hadn't even considered before. A majority of our youth wouldn't even have begun to smoke anyways. Millions of dollars have been poured into funding an anti-smoking movement. Vaping isn't a "healthier alternative" because there was nothing to compare it to. We weren't going to pick up smoking, but instead now a majority of the teen population has begun to vape instead. She mentioned also that vaping wasn't even necessarily a healthier option, either. The e-liquid put in the devices are pumped full of dangerous chemicals, many of which are poisonous by themselves.
What do you see as the root problem underlying the suffering?
"Our studies show that people are starting with electronic cigarettes because they're cool. They're gadgety. You can charge them in the wall, and even in your computers. They're neat. The colors, and the flavors. The advertisements are cool. Also, you can hide it!"
& do you think peer pressure plays any role in it?
"A few years ago I would not have said yes. Whenever I [would] talk to people your age, they would always say "No. It's not really pressure. It's more like: Oh my friends are doing it so I might as well." What I'm hearing now is kids are really pushing each other to do this. It's become much more direct peer pressure."
Which of the chemicals inside of the vapor-liquid are the most harmful?
"The most harmful is nicotine. Hands down. Juuls have as much nicotine as you'll see in 1.5-2 packs of cigarettes. Nicotine in the brains of people your age puts them in a position to be more susceptible to addiction because your brain is changing. It also has propylene glycol and glycerine which are all different types of chemicals that can hurt you. Juuls have benzoic acid, which is added to allow you to become addicted faster. By itself, it is poison, and could be toxic just by touching it. There are hundreds of other chemicals I haven't mentioned as well."
What solutions do you think are possible? Why?
To prevent? Education. Knowledge. Change in social norms. Going around telling people Juuling isn't cool. Teaching young people and their parents. I'm going down tonight to give a parent talk in San Jose. Parents aren't always aware. Helping parents understand really helps young people understand. The FDA has not yet approved the recovery programs for those addicted under the age of 18."
One of the most interesting points she made was when she spoke of the chemical composition of these vapes. Although she listed some of the expected chemicals such as nicotine, she admitted that the number of potential harmful chemicals within the vapes were too numerous to name. This is quite shocking but also quite integral to our research, as it speaks to the unknowns and harms that indulging in vaping may cause. One of the most powerful quotes was when she spoke about peer pressure, and how its negative effects convince teens to start vaping.
We conducted the interview at her office because we wanted to get a feel of what she does in her daily research. The interview definitely helped our learning as we were able to gain a greater understanding of the medical and psychological aspects of vaping and their corresponding effects on adolescents and teens specifically. We were interested in learning the chemical components of vaping, but she also provided us with information on what she believed were social influences that pushed teens to take part in it. If we could do the interview differently, perhaps we may change the location to a place that is directly in her field of work, to get a better feel of the content of the research that she was doing.
Kenneth, Matt, and Dr. Halpern- Felsher in her office at Stanford.
*All responses are condensed and paraphrased to incorporate major points.*
“Bonnie Halpern-Felsher.” Bonnie Halpern-Felsher's Profile | Stanford Profiles, profiles.stanford.edu/bonnie-halpern-felsher.
Conry, Matthew "Kenneth and Matt." JPEG. 1 April 2019
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