Is vaping safe? What youth need to know
Vaping is not risk-free, especially for youth. It can harm your health, leading to coughing, shortness of breath, nausea, sore mouth or throat, and even lung damage, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Burns from e-cigarette malfunctions can happen, too.
The long-term effects are still unknown — e-cigarettes are relatively new — but the chemicals in vaping liquids have been linked to lung and heart diseases.
What is vaping?
Statistics Canada says it’s the 21st-century way to smoke. Rather than a tobacco-filled cigarette, users inhale mist from a battery-operated device (often called an e-cigarette or vape pod) that warms an e-liquid or vape juice.
In most “juices,” nicotine and flavouring are dissolved into a liquid mixture of vegetable glycerin and chemicals, according to Health Canada. More chemicals can form when juice is heated.
Isn’t everyone vaping?
Social influencers and advertising often target youth, making vaping look fun and tasty with many exciting flavours. Be cautious of what’s online: Vaping comes with risks, and not everyone is doing it. Most young people in Ontario don’t use e-cigarettes.
Still, of the people who do puff on vapes, it’s usually youth. “There is an alarming increase in the use of e-cigarettes among children and young people, with rates exceeding adult use in many countries,” says the World Health Organization (WHO).
Is vaping addictive?
If the vape juice has nicotine, yes. It’s highly addictive, and a typical vape pod contains the same amount of nicotine as about two packs of cigarettes.
According to Health Canada, youth become dependent on nicotine with lower levels of exposure than adults, and once addicted, it can be hard to stop vaping.
How do you know if you’re hooked? One sign: You feel anxious or stressed when losing a vape. You may also experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings to vape, irritability, and insomnia.
Does vaping have any other effects on youth?
Along with being very addictive, nicotine is particularly harmful to youth because it messes with their brain development, which continues until about age 25.
Here are examples of what can happen to the brain when young people vape nicotine:
- Memory and concentration get altered
- Symptoms of depression and anxiety may intensify
- Stress levels go up
- The risk of future addiction to other substances and drugs increases
Free support for vaping use in the GTA
Want to learn more about nicotine and vaping? Check out the Youth Substance Awareness Program (YSAP) Substance Use Awareness Guide.
And if you or someone you know would like support for vaping or substance use, YSAP can help. We offer free one-on-one counselling with a harm reduction approach for youth in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Reach out to YSAP counsellors via our website or call 416-473-7407.
