Can virtual reality keep teens from vaping?

Vaping among teenagers has grown dramatically in the United States, and more and more research coming out suggests the use of e-cigarettes can lead to significant health issues.

According to a report from WNPR, researchers from the Yale Center for Health and Learning Games are hoping they can keep some teenagers from vaping with an assist from virtual reality (VR).

“Invite Only,” a VR game developed by Yale’s play4REAL Lab and New Haven, Connecticut-based PreviewLabs, places users in a high school environment where they encounter real-life situations such as being offered vaping products at a party.

“We really hope that this game is going to arm kids with the facts and information, and make them feel empowered to talk to their friends who may be vaping or who may be thinking about vaping,” Veronica Weser, a research associate from the play4REAL Lab, said in the WNPR report.

More information on Yale’s ongoing research on VR and vaping can be read at the link below.

Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

Around the web

Given the precarious excitement of the moment—or is it exciting precarity?—policymakers and healthcare leaders must set directives guiding not only what to do with AI but also when to do it. 

The final list also included diabetes drugs sold by Boehringer Ingelheim and Merck. The first round of drug price negotiations reduced the Medicare prices for 10 popular drugs by up to 79%. 

HHS has thought through the ways AI can and should become an integral part of healthcare, human services and public health. Last Friday—possibly just days ahead of seating a new secretary—the agency released a detailed plan for getting there from here.