On Tuesday, the Tenerife Cabildo unveiled a campaign aimed at discouraging the use of vapers and water pipes. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the respiratory and cardiovascular hazards, as well as the potential impact on normal cognitive development due to early usage among the youth.
During a press briefing, the Minister of Education for Prevention, Juan Acosta, highlighted a significant rise in the statistics regarding the use of these electronic devices: “According to 2021 data, 44.3% of students aged 14 to 18 in Spain have tried electronic cigarettes at least once.”
As a result, the island’s campaign will pivot on three key pillars – prevention, education, and training for professionals – under the motto ‘Don’t be deceived, vaping harms your health!’ to clarify “the misleading sense of safety” that these health-damaging devices seem to offer.
Furthermore, from Tuesday onwards, the campaign will be disseminated through posters at Tenerife tram stops and on dynamic screens in hospitals, specialised care centres, and health facilities across Tenerife, youth centres, university campuses, and faculties of La Laguna University.
“We anticipate that these messages will reach at least 2 million individuals throughout November,” stated the Minister of Education for Prevention.
The initiative also includes complimentary training schemes for health professionals, such as nurses, psychologists, and educators, enabling them to provide “the necessary assistance” to those in need.
The initial training sessions will be conducted online on November 11, with a practical workshop following on November 27.
The Canary Islands Pulmonology Congress will also serve as a platform to promote the campaign and underscore the importance of collaboration and teamwork.
The president of the Canary Islands Association of Pulmonology, Hemily Izaguirre, has emphasised the “direct and devastating” consequences of using such products on the respiratory system: “It is not merely nicotine; it is also a concoction of chemicals associated with serious effects,” which can, in some instances, be irreversible.
While “less harmful” alternatives to standard tobacco have been suggested, this notion is considered “dangerous,” as he notes, scientific and clinical evidence demonstrates that these devices, instead of being innocuous, pose significant risks to the general populace.
Additionally, Gustavo Moreno, president of the Canarian Society of Family and Community Medicine, has highlighted the necessity for visibility to “disseminate information and raise awareness of the risks,” since “if we fail to train professionals, we will be unable to tackle these issues in consultations.”
From the Primary Care Management in Tenerife, its medical director Mónica Delgado has pointed out the “alarming rise” in vaping among youths, who are exposed to “addictive substances” and whose early consumption is associated with disruptions in normal cognitive development.
José Fernando Díaz-Flores, the general director of Public Health for the Canary Islands Government, has called for an update to the 2005 smoking legislation and its 2010 amendment in order to “progressively enhance” the current landscape, as well as to implement taxation policies aimed at addressing new initiatives regarding traditional tobacco.
“In 2005, 35% of Canary Islanders were tobacco users, a figure that has now fallen to roughly 19.9%. Some of this data reflects the positive impact of prevention efforts, which are now under threat due to a consumption pattern affecting sectors of the very young population,” he added.
He noted that “almost half” of young persons aged 14 to 18 have tried vapes and electronic cigarettes at least once.
