Tobacco Stops With Me, a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), has released a new educational campaign, “Nicotine = Brain Poison,” informing Oklahomans about the dangers of the addictiveness and mental health impacts of nicotine.

As mental health professionals sound the alarm, a vaping epidemic is sweeping middle schools and high schools across the state. Teens and young adults who vape are filling their bodies with harmful chemicals and putting their mental health in danger, often unknowingly. Recent studies indicate most minors either don’t know that vapes contain nicotine or they aren’t aware of the damaging effects nicotine is having on their brain.

“Young people may not understand the damaging impact nicotine has on their minds and their bodies,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director. “Many Oklahoma youth are caught in a spiral of nicotine dependence that impairs mental health and sets them up for a lifetime of addiction. The sooner we end this dangerous cycle, the healthier future generations will be. We cannot allow the tobacco industry to harm another generation of our children.”

In teens, nicotine causes new and worsening emotional problems, including symptoms of anxiety, depression and ADHD. Memory, learning and behavior problems are more likely to erupt later in life for people who use nicotine at a young age.

A recent study found that 98.7% of all flavored e-cigarette products contain nicotine. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, vape products contain other harmful ingredients in addition to nicotine, including ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs; flavorants such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds (VOCs); and heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead. Tips are available at StopsWithMe.com.