The Hidden Dangers of Vaping

An e-cigarette or electronic cigarette is a device that heats up vapor that can then be inhaled. It is typically rechargeable, although some e-cigarettes run on batteries. Some look like regular cigarettes, some look like cigars, and some of them look like other items, such as lipstick or a flash drive for your computer.

As the fluid inside the e-cigarette gets heated, it becomes a vapor—thus, the nickname of vaping. E-cigarette vapor can contain many different items. Most commonly it will contain nicotine, the same type of addictive substance that is in regular cigarettes and other forms of tobacco. 

Trying to find out more about the other ingredients that are in e-cigarettes can be very difficult. They can contain several different harmful toxic substances. Flavoring is typically added to e-cigarettes to try to make them taste better and to seem more appealing to new users.

Some people are under the impression that e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes. But according to Dr. Patty Carlin-Janssen, a family physician at Grand Itasca, e-cigarettes are not safe at all. “When they first became available,” she says, “e-cigarettes were marketed to people as a safer alternative to cigarettes, and that just hasn't shown to be true.” 

Dr. Carlin-Janssen adds, “They carry risks of addiction because of the nicotine that is present in most of them, and we have seen other types of lung injuries that have occurred from the substances in them.” Since e-cigarettes haven't been around that long, the long-term effects of the different toxins and chemicals inside them are also not known.

Vaping has been quite popular amongst new users of nicotine. The availability of flavors that make it more appealing taste and smell. Also, because there isn't a typical odor as in cigarette smoke, they're easier to hide and use in locations where you would not be able to use cigarettes or cigars. Finally, because e-cigarettes are new and novel, that often appeals to younger people.

Parents who are interested in talking to their children about nicotine use and e-cigarettes can follow these tips:

 

• Be a good example. If you are a smoker, talk to your child about your own attempts and struggles to quit smoking.

• Educate. Tell them about some of the negative health effects that smoking can have.

• Reinforce. Remind them that these are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.

When it comes to the timing of having these conversations with your kids about smoking and vaping, the sooner (or younger), the better. From a very young age, kids will see people out in the community smoking or using e-cigarettes and may have questions about them. Let them know what your thoughts are at that time. Certainly, by middle school age, it is time to really sit down and have these serious conversations with your children.

When someone starts using tobacco or nicotine products and is ready to quit, there are many different resources available. One of these is 1-800 QUIT-NOW. It’s also a great idea to talk to your health care provider about other appropriate strategies to cut down or quit using nicotine or tobacco as well.