Michigan health experts urge tobacco safety among concerning trends

UPPER MICHIGAN, Mich. (WLUC) - Tobacco and nicotine use continue to be a concern for children and teens.

A new app hopes to stop teen tobacco use in Michigan. The program My Life, My Quit helps teens quit tobacco and e-cigarette products.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Tobacco Dependence Treatment Coordinator Karen Brown says teens can avoid the peer pressure to continue smoking through the app.

“Going to a place where there are all a bunch of other youth that are in that same process really helps bolster that confidence,” Brown said.

Teens aged 13 to 17 can create their own quit plan from their phone. With the app, you can chat with a quit coach in real time and gain access to interactive planning tools for easy and confidential help on your quitting journey.

“When they wanna pick up a vape, what else can they do?” Brown said. “Give them some suggestions to get them kicked off, and then they can add some of their own ideas into the app.”

Teens aren’t the only demographic impacted by tobacco use.

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that nicotine poisoning in children under six years old increased by more than 750% from 2020 to 2023. University of Michigan Pediatrician Dr. Kristen Goncalves says symptoms can range from abdominal pain to seizures.

“It expanded on that, looking at how severe exposure to nicotine pouches were, and these ingestions were one and a half to two times more likely to be associated with a serious medical outcome,” Dr. Goncalves said.

Research shows that the increase in accidental poisonings is mainly caused by nicotine pouches. She says pouches are packaged like candy and have fun flavors.

“Even small amounts of nicotine ingested by a child can be very dangerous,” Dr. Goncalves warned. “Nicotine products are very concentrated, so even one three-milligram or six-milligram nicotine pouch can be very dangerous to a small child.”

She encourages people to lock up their products and have conversations with their families.

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