How Bad Is Vaping, Really?

For years, vape companies have touted their nicotine delivery system as a safer alternative to cigarettes. This “safer alternative” campaign was designed to hide the real hazards of vaping from us and our kids. It resulted in the youth vaping epidemic we find ourselves battling today. Clearly, vaping is dangerous, because tantalizing vape flavors have the power to lure curious first-timers — and nicotine has the power to hook them. Vape companies have made it known: to them, our kids are theirs to exploit for profit.

Let’s explore the true dangers of vaping and what you can do to protect your kids.

Vapes Contain Nicotine

Nicotine is the highly addictive compound found naturally in tobacco products like cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars and more. Studies show that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Vapes contain nicotine, too. In fact, some vapes, like JUUL, contain up to 20 times the nicotine found in one pack of cigarettes.

juul vs cigarettes

When teens have access to that much nicotine, it’s clear why the U.S. Surgeon General declared vaping as an epidemic. Consuming nicotine at a young age — before the brain is fully developed at age 25 — can lead to major issues, including a higher risk of addictive behaviors later in life. Millions of young people who vape are setting themselves up for a lifetime of addiction issues related to nicotine and other substances.

Flavors Are the Bait

There is nothing natural inside a vape. Nothing. Vapes contain lab-derived chemicals formulated to addict users. Because these ingredients have no discernable flavor, vape companies took a famous marketing gimmick and applied it to their own product. What ploy did they use? Flavors.

vape flavors

Not only do flavors mask the harsh chemical taste, they are the reason many people — especially kids — try vaping in the first place. With varieties like Cookies & Milk, Gummi Bear and even apple juice, how can kids resist? The combination of flavors and nicotine has been proven time after time to be too much to overcome.

What Are You Inhaling?

When vape products first hit the market, many users thought they were inhaling water vapor. Why? Because it’s implied in the product name. Vape = vapor. This was reinforced by marketing that pitched vapes as a healthy alternative to cigarettes. The truth? Vapes contain a toxic aerosol containing loads of nicotine, ultrafine particles and heavy metals such as tin, lead and nickel. Plus, vape flavorings often contain compounds such as Diacetyl which are known to cause serious lung disease.

smoking vape

Vape devices require users to inhale deeply in order to properly deliver the nicotine-loaded aerosol. Users fill their lungs with these dangerous compounds along with other — often unknown — chemicals. The most concerning part? Researchers don’t have a full understanding of the long-term effects of vaping. It can’t be healthy.

The best plan of action is to avoid vaping and all other tobacco products.

What Can You Do To Prevent Your Kids From Vaping?

As a parent, there are a few things you can do to prevent your kids from vaping. The first is setting the right example and abstaining from tobacco products. The second, keeping an open and ongoing dialogue with your kids about vaping and tobacco use. Talk about why vaping is dangerous and why you don’t use these products. Click here to get smoking and vaping conversation tips.

mother daughter talking

Vape devices are designed to fly under the radar of watchful parents. Vape companies design products that get lost in the shuffle of generic-looking school and household electronics. To learn exactly what to look out for and telltale signs your kid might be vaping, click here.

Tobacco Stops With Me

Yes, youth vaping is an epidemic. Now that the legal age to purchase tobacco is 21, it’s the perfect time to reinforce the science behind the dangers of vaping. Remember, Tobacco Stops With Me is your ally in the fight. Explore resources and articles on how to protect your family, and stay staying up to date on the latest news. Together, we can put a stop to the dangers of youth vaping.

Learn how it feels to stop vaping with the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.

Published by Tobacco Stops With Me on December 16, 2020

SHARE