Maria Foti
The recent trend of vaping has gained a lot of attention over the past decade, with sales exponentially rising and the trend claiming to be less harmful than cigarette smoking. But with a new generation of brightly coloured e-cigarettes with flavours such as “bubble-gum” and “strawberry ice cream”, the usage of vapes has significantly shifted towards young people, especially those that are underage.
According to the NHS, in February last year, 18% of 15-year-olds in both England and Wales were vaping, with the overall number of 11–17-year-olds that use e-cigarettes in Britain having doubled since 2021. This is a big cause for concern, as fears of underage users becoming addicted to nicotine is rising.
RISKS OF VAPING
Vaping is harmful to the health
An outbreak of lung injuries and deaths has been associated with vaping. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirming 2,807 cases of e-cigarette use-associated lung injury and 68 deaths attributed to that condition, as of February 2020.
In addition, research that was published in October 2021 from The Johns Hopkins University on the ingredients in vapes, reveals that e-cigarettes contain thousands of chemical ingredients, and most of them are yet to be identified! Among those chemicals, some that were identified were “a pesticide and two flavourings linked with potential toxic effects and respiratory irritation” [1].
Another toxic chemical that vapes contain is nicotine, which has been shown to raise blood pressure and spike adrenaline levels, resulting in the increase of heart rate and the possibility of having a heart attack.
E-cigarettes are just as addictive as normal cigarettes
Both regular cigarettes and vapes contain nicotine, with research by King’s College London professor of respiratory medicine John Moxham, showing that this chemical can be as addictive as heroin. Even more concerning is the fact that vape-users can get more nicotine, as extra-strength cartridges with higher concentrations of nicotine are available to purchase.
Single use vapes are bad for the environment
Vapes have caused an increase in the issue of electronic waste, with the material used in them being very valuable if recycled properly. Unfortunately, the devices are often discarded in the streets! Each of these devices contains 0.15 grams of the metal lithium in their batteries, which according to both the EU and USA has been classified as a “critical raw material”. The International Energy Agency has given warning that within two years, there is a weighty potential of this metal being in short supply, especially as the production of electric cars is being increased and that lithium is essential for this. The vapes sold in Britain last year alone, “contained enough copper to make 370,000 at-home electric vehicle chargers and enough lithium to produce more than 2,500 EV batteries” [1].
If you or anyone you know Is struggling with smoking addiction and would like help:
- Download the NHS Quit Smoking app on your phone
- Call the free National Smokefree Helpline on 0300 123 1044 (England only)
- Sign up for email support on https://quitnow.smokefree.nhs.uk/
- Or join the ‘Smokefree Quit Smoking Support Group’ on Facebook
Where to find out more:
Facts on the risks of vaping – https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html
Vaping evidence updates – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update
Sources
[1] Barnes O., H. A., 2023. The environmental cost of single-use vapes. Financial Times, 7 March.