Roswell Park and Western New York schools team up to analyze vaping

BUFFALO, NY — What’s in a vape? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. Children from middle school use them. This causes a lot of concern.

Research is currently underway at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to better understand what’s in vaping products and the health risks they pose to younger users.

Nestled on the Buffalo Medical Campus, a team of researchers waits for the sound of machines performing tests and watches. Maciej Goniewicz is a professor of oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. He studies vaping products confiscated in schools.

“More than 30 schools are participating,” Goniewicz said. “We cover that means we cover about 15,000 students.”

Over the past few months, they have analyzed over 1,000 vapes.

“We have already analyzed a few hundred, but we are waiting for the new confiscated product, new batches of product,” Goniewicz said. “So we also want to see if anything has changed in this research, if children are using new products, if the nicotine concentration has increased, if cannabis is vaping more.

He says what they’ve found so far is alarming.

“The nicotine concentration is really high. It’s like 45 milligrams per milliliter. In our older generation of cigarettes, we see three, six milligrams. Now it goes up to 50 or more.

He puts it into perspective.

“Some products contain the equivalent of nicotine in eight packs of tobacco cigarettes, just like individual vaping products,” he continued.

Goniewicz says some kids are vaping within a week or less. He says the determining factor is price, accessibility and how nicotine makes the brain feel.

“It increased dopamine in the brain,” Goniewicz said. “So at the beginning it brings a lot of fun.”

Goniewicz explains that this turns into addiction and leads to withdrawal symptoms.

“So they just feel unpleasant, irritated, angry,” Goniewicz said. “And the way to relieve those withdrawal symptoms is to simply take another puff of vaping products.”

They also test the solvents that create the flavor they contain in our foods. Goniewicz says that so far they have found that it destroys lung tissue.

“Epidemiological studies show that children who vape have a higher risk of asthma,” he added.

When it comes to the contents of a vape, Goniewicz says most products contain nicotine. About one in ten contains cannabis. This also harms young users.

“Because cannabis e-liquid from vaping products is denser, more vicious, it actually causes more damage to the lungs than nicotine products,” Goniewicz said.

Then there are counterfeit products. Since they are not legally manufactured, there is no way of knowing what is in them. Goniewicz says they haven’t found anything contaminated with other substances, but he fears it’s just a matter of time.

“Like fentanyl and cocaine,” he said. “That’s why we need to be aware. And if we see this product, we would like to report it as quickly as possible.

Each school will receive a summary of what was found in the confiscated vapes. The hope is that they will use this to teach students about what they put in their bodies and the consequences that has on their futures.

“What is the effect on your performance, on your running, on your sport,” Goniewicz asked. I advise young people not to vape.

Goniewicz says this study will continue as long as necessary.

You may be wondering how this partnership between the schools and Roswell began. That’s thanks to the assistant principal at Cleveland Hill High School in Cheektowaga. In part two of this series on vaping, you’ll meet Michael Lobuzzetta. He will talk about what he sees at school and the effects of vaping on academics.