How to Talk About Vaping With Young People

Rose 21-year-old Rose became addicted to vaping during middle school, when the device was a new product and promoted widely over social media. Vaping's popularity turned around a decades-long decline in nicotine consumption among teens which was reversed and set the stage for a fresh surge.

Vapor inhalation is accomplished using an electronic cigarette. The liquid that was inhaled by tanks, cartridges or other device produces the vapor. Vapor is comprised tiny amounts of metal, nicotine and chemicals. The vapor could be carcinogenic volatile organic compounds. Also, the vapor could contain compounds that could be harmful or irritating. Examples include diacetyl which is known to cause the bronchiolitis abliterans (popcorn lung) and flavors such as EVALI (e-cigarette-associated lung damage).

Although vaping may be more safe than smoking cigarettes certain studies indicate that it can be. Nicotine is addictive and may harm brain development, raise blood pressure and sugar levels. Even those e-liquids claiming to be free of nicotine are made up of small quantities.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a requirement that electronic cigarettes are approved vape before they are sold on the United States. Many e-cigarettes were offered in the U.S. without approval. Some manufacturers took advantage of the time lag between submissions to the enforcement department and shipped their product abroad. The FDA has increased its removals of unapproved products from the market, and the experts anticipate that it will remain the case. This infographic will assist in understanding the vaping process, as well as the most effective way to talk about it with younger people.