If your teen is one of the nearly 4 million high school students who are vaping instead of smoking cigarettes, you need to know your child is in danger.
E-cigarettes can decrease brain development and lead to mood disorders, nicotine addiction and the use of other abusive substances such as alcohol, according to the latest research.
E-cigarettes produce an aerosol that contains a number of dangerous chemicals that can cause lung disease as well as cancer.
Even being around someone using a vape can be dangerous.
There are health risks to even inhaling secondhand e-cigarette emissions, which contain diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds such as benzene, which is found in car exhaust; and heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead.
The total number of students using tobacco rose by 1.5 million students between 2017 to 2018, a 78 percent increase, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration’s National Youth Tobacco Survey.
“The absolute increases in the prevalence of nicotine vaping among 12th-graders and 10th-graders are the largest ever recorded,” stated Richard Miech, who helps run the Monitoring the Future study, which has tracked teen use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs and other substances every year since 1975.
The surge in youth e-cigarette use has been linked to the Juul e-cigarette product, which makes up more than 70 percent of the U.S. e-cigarette market. Juul appears to deliver nicotine more effectively and at higher doses than other e-cigarettes, increasing users’ risk of addiction.
“Teens are clearly attracted to the marketable technology and flavorings seen in vaping devices, however it is urgent that teens understand the possible effects of vaping on overall health, the development of the brain, and the potential for addiction,” said Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse.