Vaping and Teens: Here’s What We Know

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the sale and marketing of a few fruity e-cigarette flavors. Many public health officials and healthcare providers fear these new fruity flavors attract teens and put them at greater risk of potentially harmful vaping.

“Although FDA authorization cites potential benefits for adult smokers seeking alternatives to combustible, disease-causing cigarettes, flavored vape products remain deeply concerning,” says Dr. Y. Michael Shim, chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. “They attract youth, promote nicotine initiation, normalize use and may expand dependence among adolescents and young adults.”

Keep reading to learn about the dangers of vaping and its potential effects on teens.

Basic Vaping Risks

Vaping is never safe. Growing evidence suggests e-cigarettes carry significant health risks for all users, due to:

• Heavy metals. When heating coils turn liquid into water vapor, the vape releases trace amounts of heavy metals, such as lead and nickel.
• Nicotine. Many vapes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance also found in traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products.
• Other chemicals. Various chemicals get inhaled through electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). Examples include formaldehyde and acrolein, toxic chemicals used in weed killers, building materials and more. These can cause skin irritation, cancer and other issues.

The Effects of Vaping on Teens

Today, vapes are the most-used tobacco products among teens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that people who have a preferred type of tobacco product use e-cigarettes more than cigarettes, nicotine pouches and cigars combined.

Along with the risks mentioned above, vape use has negative effects on a teen’s developing brain, increasing their likelihood of:

• Anxiety, depression and impulsivity
• Sepsis
• Sleep disturbances
• Lung disease and damage

What This Means for Parents of Teens

Pediatricians and primary care doctors are concerned that the FDA’s approval of new fruit-flavored vapes could make vaping more appealing to young people. To reduce your child’s risk of nicotine addiction and other dangers of vaping, encourage these healthy habits:

• Be open and honest. Start talking about the risks of cigarette and e-cigarette use with your kids at an early age.
• Role play. Act out real-life scenarios of peer pressure your child may face. Teach your child how to respond when a friend offers an electronic cigarette or other dangerous product.
• Set a good example. If you smoke cigarettes or vapes, quit. Tobacco cessation counseling can help.

In Conclusion: Teen Vaping Use and What to Do

The FDA recently authorized new fruit-flavored vapes, raising concerns about the potential for increased youth appeal.

• Vaping poses serious health risks, including the inhalation of heavy metals, addictive nicotine and toxic chemicals.
• Using electronic cigarettes can affect developing brains, contributing to anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances and lung damage.
• Engage your children in open dialogue about these dangers, practice peer-pressure refusal skills and model healthy habits.

Need help managing your teen’s health? Find a doctor at Weill Cornell Medicine today.