According to a recent study on health-related behaviour among pupils in Scotland, 25% of 15-year-olds reported using a vape in the previous 30 days and 40% said they had used one at some point in their lives.
Additionally, there was a gender difference: 20% of boys and 30% of girls reported having used one recently.
Of the 15-year-olds surveyed, just approximately 11% smoked. According to medical experts, children who would never have been tempted to attempt smoking are now drawn to vaping.
Has a technology that has been heralded as revolutionary in the fight against tobacco unintentionally produced a generation of young people addicted to nicotine?
Vapes: How addictive are they?
According to some scientists, nicotine is just as addictive as cocaine or heroin.
The nicotine enters the brain and releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, in a matter of seconds.
There are many different nicotine strengths available in vaping devices, however in the UK, practically all disposables have the maximum quantity that is permitted by law: 20 mg/ml, or 2%. Online-only illicit goods might have much larger concentrations.
Children find single-use vapes more enjoyable since the nicotine in them is typically nicotine salt-based, which has a milder “throat hit” than other kinds.
Many factors make it difficult to compare the amount of nicotine taken by vaping to smoking, but Linda Bauld, a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, thinks a large number of young people may currently be dependent on nicotine.
We need to take appropriate action to address this as we’re startled by the large number of young people who are now vaping as a result of product innovation, she told BBC News.
Disposable vapes are available in several “puff” capacities; yet, some youngsters are finishing the standard 600-puff version in a matter of days.
According to Emily Banks, a visiting professor at Oxford University’s Nuffield Department of Population Health from the Australian National University, nicotine addiction is harmful in and of itself.
She stated earlier this month at a meeting of the health committee of the Scottish Parliament, We have kids who are experiencing addiction who have difficulty sitting through a lesson or sitting through a meal with a family.
How challenging is it to stop vaping?
When you stop using nicotine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms, just like with many other medications.
Among the initial symptoms could be headaches and vertigo, though these go away somewhat fast.
Cravings are a worse problem because they are the brain’s way of demanding the dopamine that it has grown dependent on.
Even though each craving usually lasts for 15 to 20 minutes, they can begin within 30 minutes of stopping and just keep coming. It requires a great deal of self control to avoid them, just like smoking.
In addition to the physical symptoms—fatigue, constipation, and increased appetite—there are psychological and emotional difficulties.
Many experience increased restlessness and anxiety after going a few days without nicotine, and some mention depression.
Another sign of brain fog is irritability, which can impair concentration for two to four weeks while the nicotine wears off and leaves the body.
How can this be resolved?
Education is a clear strategy. Recently, the Scottish government launched new educational materials and an information campaign for schools.
However, advocates contend that it is unlikely to succeed on its own because of peer pressure and young people’s increased propensity for taking risks.
A few nations, such as Denmark, have outlawed flavourings other than tobacco tastes. Even though China exports the majority of the world’s flavor-infused disposable vaporizers, the country has also banned flavours for its own citizens.
A London-based tobacco company and e-cigarette vendor has now supported a ban on flavours associated with sweets or soft drinks; yet, data suggests that fruit flavours are the most popular among youth.
Australia has gone one step further and outlawed vaping devices of any kind, requiring that they be obtained through a prescription.
Even if the vaping rates in these countries are lower than in the UK, a sizable portion of youth still use vaping goods that are readily available “under the counter” or online.
Even though it is against the law in the UK to sell vaping devices to anybody under the age of 18, the industry is very lucrative, and law enforcement is struggling to keep up with powerful commercial forces.
One idea put out is to use taxes to drastically increase prices. Limitations on vivid hues and the quantity of spaces in which they can be exhibited represent an additional choice.