Written by John Dawood
Youth vaping is a big problem in Canada. The rising popularity of vaping has been dramatic, especially among teenagers.
The number of youth smoking cigarettes has declined significantly but the number of youth who are vaping is on the rise.
What is vaping? Vaping products (electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes) are devices that heat a liquid into an aerosol that is inhaled (breathed in) into the lungs. These devices are commonly called vapes, mods, e-hookahs, sub-ohms, tank systems and vape pens.
The liquid (sometimes referred to as e-juice) in a vape product contains a combination of ingredients, usually including nicotine (the highly addictive drug found in tobacco products), propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine and flavouring. Many of these substances are considered safe for ingestion (eating); however, when these liquids are heated, they produce new chemicals that may not be safe to inhale. For example, the heating process can create chemicals like formaldehyde and other contaminants such as nickel, tin and aluminum.
Vaping and youth: How to talk to your child about vaping.
Vaping is on the rise among teenagers. While smoking rates among Canadian youth are at an all-time low, youth vaping is on the rise. Although most youth are aware of the harms and consequences of smoking cigarettes, they often underestimate the effect that vaping can have on their health and well-being. Learning more about vaping and its consequences can help you have an honest and informed conversation with your child about vaping, and help your child make informed and healthy decisions.
Why do youth vape? Youth report that they vape to reduce stress and because of their desire to fit in. Youth say they enjoy vaping. Vapes come in thousands of different flavours, many of them candy and fruit flavours that are popular with young people.They also vape because they become addicted to nicotine.
What are the health effects of vaping? Any time we breathe in anything, other than medication or fresh air into our lungs, there is a potential to cause harm. Vaping is no different. We are still collecting more research to fully understand the long-term health effects to inform Canadians. But at this point, we do already know that there is harm connected to vaping.
- Nicotine dependence: vaping products contain large amounts of nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug. For instance, 1 Juul Pod (Juul is one brand name of a vaping product) has the same amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes (approximately one pack). This means people may develop dependence quickly and it may even increase your chances of smoking traditional cigarettes.
- Negative lung health effects of tobacco use include worsening of existing lung conditions, lung cancer and COPD among others.
- Short-term symptoms: Individuals should watch for signs of cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. These may be signs of lung damage. If you are experiencing these symptoms, seek medical attention.
- Lung disease: Vaping can make asthma and other existing lung diseases worse. Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death. Some chemicals in vaping products can also cause cardiovascular disease and biological changes that are associated with cancer development.
The bottom line: Vaping is not without risk, so understanding the potential short- and long-term health outcomes before vaping is recommended. Younger people should be educated to understand their increased risk of nicotine addiction compared with the
general population and should be strongly encouraged to not try or start vaping.
