Up in Smoke

The number of teens who use e-cigarettes or other vaping devices is on the rise.

Whether it’s a vape pen, an e-cigarette or a hookah pen, there’s a pretty good chance a teen you know has been exposed to—and possibly even tried—vaping. In 2014, e-cigarettes actually surpassed cigarettes for the tobacco product used most often by adolescents and teenagers. Although e-cigarettes and vape pens do not contain tobacco, they do contain harmful chemicals, and people who use these products are not that much better off than their cigarette-smoking peers.

While researchers originally believed teenagers who vaped may have been using it as a way to quit smoking cigarettes, that’s not actually the case. New numbers show these teens are actually more likely to take up or return to cigarette smoking.

Unfortunately, many teenagers don’t understand just how dangerous vaping is. One University of Michigan study of high school seniors found that only 14.2 percent believed vaping could be harmful. Talk to your teen about the harmful effects of vaping, including damage that nicotine—still found in many vaping liquids, despite the absence of tobacco—does to still-developing teen brains.

The Dangers of Vaping

While vaping advocates suggest the practice is less harmful to your health than cigarette use, research shows the dangers may simply lie in a different area. Many vaping liquids don’t include tobacco itself, but they do contain harmful chemicals including:

  • Diethylene glycol—Used in antifreeze, this chemical is found in most vaping liquids and is toxic to humans.
  • Nicotine—The addictive substance found in cigarettes is also used in vaping, making vaping just as addictive. In its purest form, nicotine can be deadly.
  • Acetone—Often a component in nail polish remover and paint thinner, acetone has been found in the vapor of various e-cigarettes.

These chemicals, along with many others included in vaping, can cause health problems such as allergic reactions, lung inflammation, shortness of breath and aggravation of asthma symptoms.

Sources:

healthywomen.org, myhealthoc.org, sciencenews.org, tobaccoharmreduction.org, societyforscience.orgsocietyforscience.org

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