Ask HEAT

Should Teens be Concerned About Marijuana?

Yes. The brain is still developing until age 25, and research shows that smoking marijuana before age 25 changes your brain. “When I am dissecting a body, I can tell right away if they smoked marijuana before age 25,” said Dr. Sammarco, a coroner in Ohio.

Is it possible to get Hepatitis C if I’ve never done drugs?

Yes. Dr. Anubhav Mital reports the devastating story of a young woman testing positive for Hep C. Her drug history was clean, but she had had sex with a partner who had done drugs and passed Hep C onto her.

Is vaping safe?

No. Even though vaping devices don’t contain tobacco, they still contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Two UCLA doctors say that even though the public seems to accept vaping, that doesn’t mean the practice is safe. In fact, cancer-causing chemicals are found in e-cigarettes, and vaping has been found as a gateway to smoking.