Vaping FAQs

is vaping bad for a teenager

by Prof. Jacklyn Weimann Sr. Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Along with these long-term health risks of teen vaping, there are also short-term effects of vaping, including:

  • Nicotine dependence, which can lead to disruptions in brain development and chemistry
  • Increase in shortness of breath, coughing, and fevers
  • Acid reflux
  • Higher likelihood of contracting lipoid pneumonia, which occurs when fatty substances are inhaled into the lungs.

The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine.

Full Answer

Why teens shouldn't vape?

The Top Three Reasons Teens Should Stop Vaping

  • Lung Illness. Hundreds of teens have been hospitalized due to vaping related lung illnesses. The Chicago Tribune covered...
  • Bad Devices. With the rising popularity of vaping, many counterfeited devices have entered the market. Vaping black...
  • Death. The Center for Disease Control reported vaping related deaths have been...

How to help your teen quit vaping?

Offer your own suggestions as well:

  • Know your reasons. Ask your teen to think about why he or she wants to stop smoking. ...
  • Set a quit date. Help your teen choose a date to stop smoking.
  • Avoid temptation. Encourage your teen to avoid people, places and activities that he or she links with smoking.
  • Be prepared for cravings. ...
  • Consider stop-smoking products. ...
  • Seek support. ...

What effects does vaping have on teenagers?

What Are the Other Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults?

  • Scientists are still learning about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.
  • Some of the ingredients in e-cigarette aerosol could also be harmful to the lungs in the long-term. ...
  • Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused some fires and explosions, a few of which have resulted in serious injuries.

More items...

Why do teens start vaping?

The report found that, among students who used e-cigarettes in 2016, the most common reasons were:

  • Because a friend or family member used them (39 percent)
  • The availability of flavors, such as mint, candy, fruit or chocolate (31 percent)
  • The belief that e-cigarettes are less harmful than other forms of tobacco, such as cigarettes (17.1 percent)

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What does vaping do to a teenager?

addiction: E-cigarettes contain nicotine, a drug that's highly addictive. You don't have to vape every day to get addicted. anxiety and depression: Nicotine makes anxiety and depression worse. It also affects memory, concentration, self-control, and attention, especially in developing brains.

Is it OK for a 15 year old to vape?

A: The federal minimum age to purchase e-cigarette products is 18, but the laws vary by state – 49 states have set a minimum age that is older than 18. Unfortunately, the majority of underage vaping users are still getting the products from local gas stations or areas in their community that sell the products.

What are 5 dangers of vaping?

Vaping has been linked to lung injury.Rapid onset of coughing.Breathing difficulties.Weight loss.Nausea and vomiting.Diarrhea.

What are the benefits of vape?

Benefits of vaping Vaping can help some people quit smoking. Vaping is usually cheaper than smoking. Vaping is not harmless, but it is much less harmful than smoking. Vaping is less harmful to those around you than smoking, as there's no current evidence that second-hand vapour is dangerous to others.

What happens if you vape at 14?

Getting addicted to nicotine can make it harder for teenagers to focus and concentrate. E-cigarettes also contain chemicals that could cause cancer, and there are many reports of serious lung problems connected to vaping. Additionally, vaping can make teenagers more likely to start smoking regular cigarettes.

Is vaping worse than smoking?

1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.

Should I punish my child for vaping?

Now that you are aware of the hazards brought by e-cigarettes, you have every right to punish your teen for vaping. It does not matter if they are only using it for recreational purposes. Vaping is still addictive and damaging. Some ways to punish your child are scolding and grounding them.

Is vaping legal for under 18?

Prohibits the sale of vaping products including non-nicotine vape liquid and toy vaping products to anyone under the age of 18 years. Prohibits the supply of vaping products directly or indirectly to anyone under the age of 18 years.

Why are e-cigarettes not safe to eat?

For example, some e-cigarette flavorings may be safe to eat but not to inhale because the gut can process more substances than the lungs. 1. Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused some fires and explosions, a few of which have resulted in serious injuries.

When will e-cigarettes be banned?

On January 2, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized an enforcement policy that prohibits the sale of prefilled cartridge e-cigarettes in any flavor other than tobacco or menthol, unless authorized by FDA.

How much nicotine is in Juul pods?

All JUUL e-cigarettes have a high level of nicotine. According to the manufacturer, a single JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes. 2

How do e-cigarettes produce aerosols?

E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. The liquid used in e-cigarettes often contains nicotine and flavorings. This liquid is sometimes called “e-juice,” “e-liquid,” “vape juice,” or “vape liquid.”. Users inhale e-cigarette aerosol ...

How does nicotine affect the brain?

Using nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. 1.

What is a Juul?

JUUL is a brand of e-cigarette that is shaped like a USB flash drive. Like other e-cigarettes, JUUL is a battery-powered device that heats a nicotine-containing liquid to produce an aerosol that is inhaled.

What are the most popular flavors of e-cigarettes in 2020?

5 Among high school students who currently used any type of flavored e-cigarettes in 2020, the most commonly used flavors are fruit (73.1%), mint (55.8%), menthol (37.0%), and candy, desserts , or other sweets (36.4%). 5.

How to tell if a teen is vaping?

What Parents Can Do About Teen Vaping 1 Watch for warning signs. Because e-cigarettes do not have an odor, it’s harder to tell when teens are using them. However, there are other signs to watch for, including bloodshot eyes, increased thirst, nosebleeds, and cough. 2 Ask open-ended questions. Avoid yes/no questions when talking with teens about vaping. Ask them what they’ve heard about vaping and what their peers think about it. Approach the conversation with caring and curiosity, not judgment. If a teen admits to vaping, react with compassion. 3 Let them know about the dangers. Make sure that teens understand the potential long-term consequences of vaping. 4 Set a good example. If parents don’t want their teens to vape or smoke, they shouldn’t do so either. Teens will have a hard time believing that vaping is dangerous if they see adults doing it. 5 Get them the help they need. If a teen wants to stop vaping, make sure they receive access to professional help for breaking the habit and dealing with the physical and emotional symptoms of withdrawal.

What can parents do about vaping?

What Parents Can Do About Teen Vaping. Parents can take steps to help prevent their kids from vaping health risks. In particular, communication between parents and teens is key in supporting good choices and positive coping mechanisms. Here are some ways to protect teens from the dangers of vaping.

What Is Vaping?

Vaping refers to the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, or vapor, created by a vaping device. A vaping device includes a mouthpiece, a battery, a heating component, and a cartridge that contains the e-liquid or e-juice. The e-liquid is a combination of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. Vaping devices can also be used to vaporize THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, by replacing e-liquids with cannabis-infused oils.

What are the chemicals in vape juice?

Along with nicotine, vaping liquids contain additives such as propylene glycol and glycerol. These toxic chemicals have been linked to cancer, respiratory disease, and heart disease. Scientists have also found that diacetyl, a chemical used to flavor some vape juice, may cause a condition called “popcorn lung,” the scarring and obstruction of the lungs’ smallest airways. In addition, a study found that some common chemicals used to flavor vape juice could damage endothelial cells. These are the cells that line blood vessels and lymph vessels.

What is the purpose of a vape battery?

The battery in a vaping device powers the heating component, which heats up the e-liquid , also known as vape juice . As a result, the device produces water vapor. Users inhale this vapor into their lungs.

How much has vaping increased in high school?

According to the most recent Monitoring the Future study, use of vaping nicotine has nearly doubled among high school seniors, increasing from 11 percent in 2017 to 20.9 percent in 2018. Vaping has also significantly increased among eighth and 10th graders.

How many deaths from vaping?

Most recently, a vaping-related health crisis has resulted in hundreds of respiratory illnesses across the United States and at least six deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Why do kids vape?

A lot of kids experiment with or use vaping products because they believe it’s harmless. For most, the flavors are the lure.

How many teens use e-cigarettes in 2015?

Eye-Opening Stats. While smoking has gone down among teens, overall tobacco use has remained steady. It’s because vaping has become common. More than 3 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2015, up from 2.46 million in 2014.

What is the chemical in e-cigarettes?

For example, Harvard University researchers found diacetyl, a flavoring chemical, in most of the e-cigarettes and e-liquids tested. Diacetyl has been linked to a respiratory disease called bronchiolitis obliterans.

When did Nick start smoking cigarettes?

Nick started smoking cigarettes when he was 11, maybe 12, and he kept at it for years. “Until my parents got fed up with it,” says Nick, now 18, a high school senior who lives near Helen, GA. “Also, it got to the point where I couldn’t taste or smell anything.”. So he stopped smoking and started “vaping” -- he gave up traditional cigarettes ...

Can e-cigarettes cause asthma?

They can irritate your lungs or make asthma worse. They may also make a teen more likely to take up smoking. “They may not be burning carcinogens when they use an e-cigarette,” says Jonathan Popler, MD, a pediatrician with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, “but are delivering nicotine to the body.”.

Does nicotine harm the brain?

And there’s a growing body of evidence that nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain .”. At the same time, the number of teens using e-cigarettes has soared. “High school students are using e-cigarettes at a greater rate than adults,” King says.

Why are kids vulnerable to vapes?

This may come in the form of peer pressure or stress, which may increase the likelihood of addictive behaviors, he said.

Why do people vape?

Kids and adults also tend to vape for different reasons, Goniewicz said. Adults tend to be former smokers who can handle a high dose of nicotine and want to avoid withdrawal symptoms, such as the inability to sleep or focus on work .

Can vaping cause stomach aches?

Levy said that it’s not uncommon for kids to report symptoms that “sound a lot like nicotine toxicity,” including headaches and stomach aches. She suspects these devices cause nicotine levels in the blood to peak higher than they do with traditional cigarettes – but experts say more research is needed to better understand how vapes work on the body and brain.

Does Levy see vape addiction?

Levy said she’s seen vape-addicted kids in her program showing what appear to be psychiatric symptoms rarely seen with traditional cigarettes or among adults. Some have anxiety and cannot focus, for example.

Does Juul pod contain nicotine?

Experts say that one Juul pod – a cartridge of nicotine-rich liquid that users plug into the dominant e-cig brand – contains the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.

Is vaping a threat to teens?

But experts say the technology and chemistry of vaping might pose an entirely different threat.

Can nicotine be used early in life?

We know from cigarette users that those who try nicotine products early in life are more likely to develop dependence to the drug, said Leventhal . This may also lead to the disruption of brain circuits that underlie attention and cognitive skills, he added.

How to help a teen avoid vaping?

To help your teen avoid vaping, start talking to them about the risks early on, as early as 5th grade. Be sure they know that it isn’t a safe alternative to smoking, and it can lead to addiction and other health problems.

What is vaping in a cigarette?

Vaping, the act of inhaling vapor through an electronic cigarette (e-ciga rette), often acts as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Liquids for e-cigarettes are available in many flavors such as mint, mango and crème brulee, which may boost its appeal for teens. However, studies are revealing that vaping and the use ...

Why do teens feel sick?

Teens are more likely to feel sick due to the amount of nicotine delivered to their body in a short amount of time. Another danger of Juuling is that the device is not only used for nicotine. It can also be used with vaporized marijuana.

What is the problem with nicotine addiction?

“The problem with nicotine addiction is that the enjoyment of the drug decreases as the desire for it increases ,” says Dr. Atkinson.

What are the health risks of smoking e-cigarettes?

When heated and inhaled, these toxins pose many health dangers including “popcorn lung,” a condition which scars the lungs and blocks tiny airways and leads to respiratory problems.

Does vaping cause addiction?

Dr. Atkinson also says becoming addicted to nicotine, particularly at a young age, can lead to other addictions including drugs and alcohol. Studies show vaping also increases the risk that teens will use tobacco and cigarettes in the future.

Can vaping cause nicotine addiction?

Though vaping doesn’t expose users to tobacco, it can still cause nicotine addiction. Nicotine is a chemical that can affect neurological health, especially in teens whose brains are still developing.

TEEN VAPING: A NATIONWIDE EPIDEMIC

In December of 2018, the Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a rare advisory. He declared e-cigarette use among youth a national epidemic.

BUT DOES VAPING LEAD TO OTHER DRUGS?

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that teenagers who try e-cigarettes are more likely to begin smoking traditional cigarettes later on. Take this conclusion with a grain of salt: the authors note there’s just a strong association, not necessarily causation.

VAPING: THE HARD FACTS

As a parent or guardian, it’s important to understand the risks associated with vaping. Here are some quick facts.

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

As always, open and honest communication is key. It may feel easier to rely on scare tactics and misinformation, but for this topic, the truth is already convincing. Start a conversation with your teen with these tips as a guide:

SOURCES

Adolescent Exposure to Toxic Volatile Organic Chemicals From E-CigarettesU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018: Surgeon General releases advisory on E-cigarette epidemic among youth

Why are young people interested in vaping?

Many young people are interested in vaping because products come in fruit or candy-like flavors. Vaping products aren’t FDA regulated. There are no uniform standards for the amount of nicotine or chemicals found in vape juice or pods.

How many middle schoolers are using tobacco?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2019, about 25% of middle schoolers and 50% of high schoolers tried tobacco products.

Is vaping hard to quit?

Here, Holm shares a few critical facts about the dangers of vaping to counter the misconceptions: Vaping can be harder to quit than smoking traditional cigarettes .

Can you smoke marijuana while vaping?

Vaping isn’t limited to tobacco or nicotine consumption. Many vaping devices can be modified so you can inhale alcohol or smoke marijuana as well.

Is vaping a good alternative to smoking?

Many e-cigarette smokers and vape users believe vaping products are a safe alternative to other forms of tobacco use, like smoking, and can serve as a way to help people quit. According to Amanda Holm, MPH, who manages the tobacco treatment service at Henry Ford Health System, the jury is still out on this. “There’s been little evidence as of ...

Is vaping dangerous for teens?

7 Things You Need To Know About The Dangers Of Teen Vaping. As teen and young adults have become more aware of the dangers of tobacco use, smoking trends in the United States (among adults and teens) have been on the decline. Until recently. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2019, ...

Is vaping addictive?

For example, one Juul pod is the nicotine equivalent of smoking a pack of 20 regular cigarettes. Vaping is highly addictive. Teens who vape are four times as likely to develop a nicotine addiction. Unregulated nicotine levels in these products make it easier to get addicted.

What is vaping and why is it bad for teens?

Vaping involves using a small device to heat a liquid. The heated liquid produces an aerosol, which is inhaled. The liquid usually contains nicotine and flavoring, which gives off a sweet smell.

How many teens don't know about vaping?

Remember, almost 66% of teens don’t realize that vaping involves nicotine. or if they do know it, they don’t understand the dangers of it. So your mission is toeducate your teenager and help them see the dangers of vaping. Fortunately, there areplenty of resources available to you.

What does vaping tongue mean?

Vaper’s Tongue. This is a term used to describe the loss of taste sensation that many teens who vape will experience. Your teen may complain that foods taste bland or start adding extra seasonings and spices to their meals.

How to get a vape out of your lungs?

Start by scheduling an appointment with your child’s doctor. They can give your teen a check-up to make sure their lungs have not been damaged as well as give them further information about vaping and the risks involved. Next, the two of you should call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or check outteen.smokefree.gov.

Why do teens get jittery when vaping?

Passing on caffeine.The effects of nicotine may make your teen jittery. Teens who normally rely on coffee or soda might start skipping it. Irritability. Nicotine affects brain chemistry, so your teen might get agitated more easily if they are vaping.

What are some examples of vaping devices?

Vaping involves heating up a liquid and there are some basic parts to most vaping devices. Some common things you might see include parts that look like USB drives, pens, unfamiliar chargers or batteries, cotton balls and metallic wires.

How do you know if you're smoking?

If you are looking for the classic signs of smoking, like a lingering odor on clothes or yellowed teeth or fingers, you won’t find them .The signs of vaping are more subtle, which is why it is important to be aware of them. Electronic cigarettes debuted in 2008, but in recent years, they have become much more popular with teenagers.

How to react when a parent discovers their child is vaping?

Getty Images. Experts advise parents who discover their teen is vaping to react in a calm and measured manner. Ask questions and listen to the answers they give.

How many people vape in school?

He says his clients report that, “at any given time between classes, there can be 15 to 20 people vaping in the school bathroom.”

What is Smokefree Teen?

Smokefree Teen is another resource with apps and texting options teens can access at any time.

What to do if your teenager is addicted to nicotine?

If your teenager has a nicotine addiction, your first step should be consulting with their pediatrician or your family doctor. They can help you determine how serious the addiction is and what options might be available for helping your teenager quit.

Why is it important for teens to push back against their parents?

“As kids turn to teens, it’s natural for them to push back against their parents to assert their independence and to turn to their peers for support and guidance instead,” Mopper said.

How many high school seniors have vaped?

In December 2018, the National Institute on Drug Abuse released a report detailing a “dramatic increase” in the use of vaping devices by teenagers, stating that 37.3 percent of high school seniors had vaped within the previous year.

Why does the author suggest talking to teens about how the makers of tobacco products are trying to manipulate them?

Instead of harping on the dangers of smoking, he suggests talking to teens about how the makers of tobacco products are trying to manipulate them — because no teenager wants to believe they could be easily manipulated.

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