Vape pens, also known as e-cigarettes, work by heating a liquid with the help of batteries to create vapor that users inhale.
This isn’t just water vapor, either. In addition to numerous other dangerous ingredients and flavorings, it contains nicotine. It has been found that some vapes that were claimed to be nicotine-free contain nicotine.
Vapes are not only restricted to nicotine though. Some may include marijuana, herbs, or other oils. While certain vapes are meant for single use, others are refillable and rechargeable. Users have the option to purchase pre-filled cartridges or e-liquids to top up their devices.
You can get all of these nicotine-based vapes from many authorized resellers.
If you’re looking to invest in a vape device yourself, you can check out Vape Deal to buy premium products.
However, before choosing a device check out some emerging vaping facts that are worth a read before going down the path of vaping!
6 Major Vaping Facts
- Potential Long-Term Addiction: It’s no secret that vapes have nicotine. Nicotine is addictive and people can get hooked even with irregular use.
- Slower Brain Development: Our brain keeps developing until about age 25. Using nicotine in the teenage years slows down brain development.
- Vaping Hooks a New Generation on Nicotine: Disposable vapes are more popular among teens than any traditional tobacco product. Lower cost and easier accessibility make them appealing to all, especially those who may never have smoked otherwise.
- May Be Less Harmful Than Smoking: Vapes may expose you to fewer toxins than cigarettes. However, recent research suggests the presence of unknown chemicals and potential links to issues with the lungs.
- Vaping Can Harm Your Heart and Lungs: Nicotine, present in both cigarettes and vapes, is addictive and raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack. Emerging data suggests links between vaping and chronic lung problems.
- Vapes Not the Best Cigarette Quitting: Despite vapes being promoted as a method of cutting down on cigarettes, the FDA hasn’t approved them as a good way to quit smoking.
20 Vaping Facts For Teens
Vaping has become increasingly popular among teenagers in recent years. This has sparked concerns about its health implications and addictive nature. Here are 20 crucial facts that every teen should know about vaping:
- Early Age Nicotine Trap: Most vapes contain nicotine, the addictive drug in cigarettes. Even teens who use them occasionally can get hooked in the long run.
- Slower Brain Development: Our brain keeps growing until around age 25. Nicotine use in teens can damage areas that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control
- Can Act as a Gateway Drug: Studies show teens who vape are more likely to start smoking cigarettes later.
- Exposure to Harmful Chemicals: Vape liquids, or E-juice, contain chemicals that can be harmful to our bodies. Besides nicotine, it is made of Vegetable Glycerin and Propylene Glycol which can be harmful with prolonged use or deadly if ingested.
- Attracting Teens With Delectable Flavors: Vapes have many interesting flavors like bubblegum, honeydew melon, triple mango, and mint among thousands more. These attractive flavors mask the harsh chemicals that we are inserting into our bodies.
- “Popcorn Lungs”: Diacetyl is a chemical found in vape juice that is linked to a serious lung disease called popcorn lungs.
- Leaves Behind Traces of Metals: Lead and nickel, heavy metals, have been found in some vape devices. These are minute parts of a coil that break off and can be inhaled with the smoke.
- Maybe Safer Than Cigarettes: Vapes do expose you to fewer toxins than cigarettes. Cigarettes have tar that clogs the pores in our lungs. However, little is known about the unknown chemicals found in vape juice and their potential long-term effects.
- Nicotine Addiction Worse Than Cigarettes: The nicotine in vapes can be just as addictive as heroin and cocaine. The average cigarette has 0.7% nicotine. On the other hand, a standard disposable vape has 2.5% nicotine.
- Vaping Doesn’t Help Quit Smoking: E-cigarettes have not yet been approved by the FDA as a way to quit smoking. Studies show that most people who try to quit smoking with vapes end up using both.
- A Generation Hooked: Vapes, especially the newer and more accessible disposable ones, are more popular among teens than any traditional tobacco product. These devices are marketed in a way that teens, who otherwise would not have smoked cigarettes, now vape.
- Perfect Excuse for “Stress Relief”: Teens, like adults, can potentially go through stress. So to cope with it they may just turn to vapes as the more cost-effective way to reduce anxiety. This creates a cycle of nicotine dependence as they turn to vaping.
- Experimentation to Addiction: What starts as trying something with friends can turn into a serious addiction. Curious Teens may “try-out” vapes just for the sake of testing the waters, but may easily get addicted to them as they are easily accessible.
- Cases of Fires and Explosions: Defective or unregulated batteries in vapes have caused fires and explosions back in the day. Although this is not common nowadays, most airlines now ban vapes onboard.
- Keep Out of Reach of Children: Children and in some cases adults have been poisoned by accidentally swallowing, e-liquid.
- Vapes, A Flavored Trap: Teens start vaping because of the thousands of flavors available to them. This flavored trap is a major reason behind underage vape use. These enticing flavors make vaping seem less harmful.
- Manufacturer Marketing Target Teens: if you’ve ever come across an advert for vapes, you’ll notice that more often than not, tactics are employed where vapes are being marketed as a cigarette alternative. Bright colors, cool imagery, and a message promoting a sense of better social inclusion for vapers make vapes an easy pick over tobacco.
- Curiosity Can Lead to Addiction: Many teens report using e-cigarettes simply because they’re curious or influenced by peers
- Going the Opposite Direction: While some teens might believe vaping is a safer alternative to cigarettes, some evidence suggests it can lead to the complete opposite through a higher likelihood of being an eventual cigarette smoker in the future.
- There is no “Safe Level” of Nicotine: Nicotine exposure at any level can harm the developing brain, and teens who vape are more likely to use other tobacco products in the future
6 Celebrities Who Are Into Vaping
Celebrities have jumped on the vaping bandwagon! Let’s take a look at some celebrities who vape.
- Lady Gaga: Known for her bold style and music, Lady Gaga has also been spotted vaping.
- Miley Cyrus: The former Disney star and singer-songwriter has been seen vaping in public on multiple occasions.
- Bruno Mars: Sources say that after Bruno’s mother passed, the star turned to vaping as a way to quit smoking. Interesting fact he also invested in a vape company named Njoy
- Johnny Depp: Known for roles in movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Edward Scissorhands,” the actor has been spotted vaping on and off screen.
- Leonardo DiCaprio: This Hollywood A-lister has been seen using a vape at various events, even awards shows.
- Katy Perry: The pop sensation is all over Instagram puffing on a vape at parties.
Interesting Vaping Statistics You Might Not Know
- E- E-juice contains up to 80 chemicals and toxic metals (Source)
- In the USA, teens and youngsters vape more than adults. (Source)
- In 2019, 9% of 13-14-year-olds had tried nicotine. In contrast, it was just 3.5% in 2017. (Source)
- Only 40% of parents were aware that their children vaped, compared to 70% for smoking. (Source)
- Around two-thirds of JUUL users aged 15-24 do not know that JUUL contains nicotine. (Source)
- In 2016, nearly 200 vapers developed severe lung disease across the USA. (Source)
- The UK is the second-largest market in the world for vape products, worth £2.3 billion in 2020. (Source)
- 50% of vapers use refillable tanks, down from 77% in 2021. (Source)
- 31% now use disposable vapes compared to only 2% in 2021, mostly by teens. (Source)
- In 2023, over 9.1% of the population of Great Britain were using e-cigarettes. (Source)
- In 2020, kids between the age of 18-24 had the lowest vaping rate. In 2022, they had the highest. (Source)
- Fruits and mints are the most common flavor of choice for vapers at 47%. (Source)
- The Vape market in the USA was worth US$6.2 billion in 2020. (Source)
- Oklahoma has the highest rate of e-cigarette usage, followed by Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky. (Source)
- Washington, D.C., has the lowest rate of e-cigarette usage, followed by South Dakota, California, Maryland, and Vermont. (Source)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vaping Safer Than Smoking Traditional Cigarettes?
Vaping is marketed as a safer alternative to smoking. However, they still pose a high risk as the risk of cigarettes came out after years of research. Vaping is still very new and its potential risks will only come out with time.
What Are The Risks Of Teen Vaping?
Vaping during your teenage years can slow down brain development and increase the potential risk of being addicted to nicotine and substance use. They can also cause lung problems and weaken your immune system,
Are There Laws And Regulations Regarding Teen Vaping?
There are laws such as the Tobacco 21 law, in the USA, to prevent the use of vapes by teenagers. The law restricts the sale and marketing of vapes to minors with high penalties if caught in the act. It also advocated for educating young adults in schools on the risks of vaping.
Wrapping Up
The overall number of people who vape nowadays has risen significantly. There are measures in place to restrict and educate people on the health risks of vapes and tobacco products. However, many are still unaware or negligent of the risks. So take some pointers from this article and be sure to properly restrict the use of vapes to teens and yourself in the process!