A Yale University study regarding vaporizer pen use in teenagers is leading many people to become alarmed over their seemingly high rate of marijuana use. While this study does point to a need for parents to discuss their expectations regarding marijuana use with their teenagers, it’s important to carefully consider exactly what the study shows and what it doesn’t.
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Facts about the Yale University Study
Here are the facts about the study that’s being discussed in so many news stories right now:
Researchers at Yale gathered data by surveying 4,000 Connecticut high school students
About 28% of the teens who answered the questions confessed to using electronic cigarettes
About 25% of the teens who used electronic cigarettes had used a dry herb pen vaporizer, vaporizer cigarette or wax pen to inhale marijuana vapor
Important Shortcomings in the Data
Many people are trying to use the study to suggest that vapor pen products are contributing to drug use in teens or making teens more likely to use marijuana. Critics of the study point out the following:
Only a relatively small group of students was surveyed. Would the study produce similar results with a much bigger sampling of respondents?
The study only involved Connecticut teens. Are the teenagers in Connecticut a fair representation of all teens across the country?
About 75% of teens who used vape pens didn’t use marijuana. If the majority of those who vape aren’t using pot, it seems odd to try to use the study to prove some type of correlation between vaporizer pen use and marijuana usage.
What Is a Vape Pen?
Some people reading about the Yale University study are unfamiliar with what vaporizer pens are. Sometimes called vapor pens or vape pens, a marijuana vaporizer pen is a device that is used to heat up a material until it releases a vapor that can be inhaled. An e cig tanks or pen vaporizer can be used to inhale vapors from liquids that contain tobacco, as well as vapors from wax and dry herb marijuana. Unlike smoke, vapor is odorless, and it dissipates quickly. As a result, it is a very discreet way for teens or anyone else to use nicotine or marijuana.
Advice for Concerned Parents
If you’re a parent of a teenager, it’s important to talk about marijuana e cig use and marijuana use in general. Discussing your values and beliefs with your child, and outlining your expectations is the best way to discourage them from using drugs. It’s also wise to take a look at pictures of vape pens, dry herbs, and concentrates, so that you can recognize them if you ever see them in your teen’s room.
Reference: usaToday
