Last week on The PediaBlog, we spent two days (here and here) poking holes in the myth that vaping is less harmful than smoking. Katherine Martinelli at Child Mind Institute tells parents of teens “What You Need To Know” by listing some of the health dangers from using electronic nicotine delivery systems:
- E-cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine.
- Because of these high nicotine levels, vaping is extremely addictive — and teens are already more susceptible to addiction than adults because their brains are still developing, which makes them more likely to habituate to using drugs and alcohol.
- Addiction can impact the ability to focus.
- E-cigarettes and similar devices contain carcinogenic compounds…
- A recent study found that vaping does, in fact, cause lung irritation akin to that seen in smokers and people with lung disease and causes damage to vital immune system cells.
- Taskiran notes that vaping increases heart rate and blood pressure, so can increase circulatory problems.
The National Institute of Drug Abuse — a section of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — has published some helpful infographics for parents to share with their preteen and teenage children. The first panel confirms that adolescents use e-cigarettes more than they smoke the real thing:
E-cigarettes appear to be a “gateway” to regular tobacco products. Moreover, teens who vape may not be completely aware of what it is they are inhaling:
Middle school and high school students are bombarded with e-cigarette advertisements in the media they consume:
