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Links to past Mental Health Minutes are below.

 

The “Brain Hijack”: Understanding Youth Vaping 

Angie Teters :  Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator /Wellness & Prevention Advocate  : Steamboat Springs School District

 

In the Yampa Valley, we pride ourselves on our health-conscious, active lifestyle. However, recent Healthy Kids Colorado Survey data highlights that while some mental health markers are recovering, a significant number of our students still report high levels of daily stress. To cope, many are turning to high-potency nicotine vapes- often without realizing they are walking into a neurological trap.

 

From “Candy” to Chemical Dependency

The transition from curiosity to addiction happens faster than most parents realize. A local 7th-grade student recently shared a vulnerable look into this journey:

 

“I first tried a vape because it tasted like candy. Over a couple of weeks, my friends had different flavors, and I wanted to try them all. Eventually, I got my own and used it constantly because it tasted so good. Before I knew it, I realized I was addicted. It didn’t matter if it had flavor anymore; I just used it because I thought it was making me feel better.”

 

This story highlights a dangerous misconception. Students often start for the flavor, but they stay for the function. In an environment where “smart” vapes are easily accessible and designed to look like tech gadgets, the barrier to entry is lower than ever.

 

The “Brain Hijack”

Adolescent brains are still under construction, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which handles decision-making and impulse control. High-potency nicotine (some disposables now contain as much nicotine as an entire carton of cigarettes) effectively “hijacks” the brain’s reward system. While students often vape to relieve stress, nicotine is a stimulant that actually increases heart rate and anxiety. This creates a vicious cycle: the student feels stressed, vapes for a temporary “hit” of dopamine and then experiences a “crash” that leaves them more anxious than before.

 

Support: Curiosity Over Criticism

If you discover a student in your life is vaping, the natural reaction is often fear or anger. However, the most effective first step is Curiosity over Criticism. Because this is a physiological “hijack”, punishment alone rarely solves the root issue.

 

• Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of “Why are you doing this?”, try: “I’ve noticed you seem more stressed lately. What does vaping do for you in those moments?”

• Validate the Stress: Acknowledge that being a student right now is high-pressure. Let them know you want to help them find tools that lower stress rather than just masking it.

 

Finding Help in Our Community

You don’t have to navigate this alone. While school staff can provide a supportive environment and initial guidance, there are dedicated resources in our community specifically for substance use intervention:

 

• Medical Providers: Schedule an appointment with your family health practitioner or pediatrician. These professionals can provide medical screenings, discuss physical health impacts and offer clinical referrals tailored to your child’s needs.

• My Life, My Quit: A free, confidential text-to-quit service for teens. (Text “Start My Quit” to 36072).

• The Health Partnership: Local care coordinators can help navigate behavioral health and substance use resources across Routt County.

 

 

This is the continued Mental Health Minute, beginning July 7, 2025.

• May 4, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — The “Brain Hijack”: Understanding Youth Vaping in Routt County
• April 13, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Knowing What’s in Our Community and How It Affects Our Kids
• April 8, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Building Calm from the Inside Out: Helping Children Learn to Regulate their Emotions
• March 31, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Update on the Hope Initiative
• March 15, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Understanding Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• March 10, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Teens as a Catalyst for Change
• Feb. 23, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Alcohol Consumption
• Feb. 16, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — How Volunteering Can Support Your Mental Health
• Feb. 11, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Processing Grief
• Feb. 1, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Free Local Sober Events
• Jan. 26, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — The Nervous System
• Jan. 18, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — A message from Yampa Valley High School
• Jan. 11,  2026 — Mental Health Minute – Prioritizing Mental Health Like Physical Health (Youth-Focused)
• Jan. 4, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Healing through tears, laughter and love
• Dec. 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — The HOPE Initiative from The Health Partnership
• Dec. 14, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Standing Together: Men’s Work and “Walking Each Other Home”
• Dec. 8, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — The Gut and Brain Connection
• Nov. 30, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Your Voice Matters
• Nov. 24, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Nov. 16, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Time Change Blues 
• Nov. 10, 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Navigating Changes in Midlife for Women
• Nov. 3, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Stress Management in Teens
• Oct. 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Day of the Dead
• Oct. 19, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Sacred Moments: Finding the Sacred in the Ordinary 
• Oct. 13, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Talk Saves Lives: Empowering Our Community to Prevent Suicide
• Oct. 6, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) comes to Northwest Colorado
• Sept. 29, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Get Immediate Support with the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line
• Sept. 22, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Theater as an Outlet
• Sept. 14, 2025 –Mental Health Minute — Connection in Times of Adversity
• Sept. 7. 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Sharing stories and building bridges at new event
• Aug. 31, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Message from Yampatika
• Aug. 25, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Mental Health After a Critical Incident: How to Help, What to Expect, and Taking Care of Yourself
• Aug. 17, 2025 — Mental Health Minute: Uncertainty Is Part of Life — But It’s Heavier for Some
• Aug. 11, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Re:generation: A Christ-Centered Path to Lasting Transformation
• Aug. 3, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Steps to Help Save A Life
• July 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Steamboat Kids & Phones
• July 24-2025 — Mental Health Minute — Starting with the basics
• July 15, 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Helping Others through Peer Engagement and The HOPE Initiative
• LINK to all previous Mental Health Minutes — DECEMBER 1, 2024, THROUGH JUNE 23, 2025