Tonnesha Arletten (she, her, hers), a 15-year-old Black girl, presents to your office with her mom and stepdad.
Mom reports, “Tonnesha here knows better, but we just learned that she’s been vaping, and I know it. I found two packages of vape juice last week in her backpack. At first, she tried to deny they was hers, but then we also found some vape pens and I finally got her to admit to it. And yes, it’s the ones with nicotine.”
Tonnesha shrugs. “Yeah, I’ve been havin’ Xaneya’s older brother buy them for me. I vape mainly on the weekend and sometimes after school. I’ve been vaping since I was 13. It’s cool. I could stop if I wanted to.”
Mom breaks in, “But I don’t think she will without help. What about some patches or gum?”
address the following:
- Would Tonnesha meet DSM-5 criteria for nicotine abuse, dependence, or misuse? Why? Use the DSM-5 to support your answer.
- What treatments are there for nicotine addiction? What option would be most appropriate for Tonnesha, given her age and use?
- Present nicotine education, focusing on vaping, to Tonnesha and her parents in your office. Please include education, treatment, and therapy referrals.
- To what extent has vaping/e-cigarettes replaced smoking, particularly for teens?
