Vaping has become epidemic-scale and pervasive among middle and high school students across the nation in the last ten years. In fact, according to a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.55 million middle and high school kids in the United States presently use e-cigarettes.
This pattern is concerning, especially in light of the potentially harmful effects of e-cigarettes on adolescents’ developing bodies and minds, which could result in nicotine addiction or, worse, lung ailments and other illnesses.
Unfortunately, many people believe that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking. Many people use vaping as a transitional way to quit smoking since e-cigarettes contain considerable amounts of nicotine but just little amounts of tobacco. The abundance of delicious, flavoured e-cigarette products also adds to their appeal.
However, it is false and dangerous to claim that vaping is safer than smoking.
Anyone cannot safely vape. All participants run the risk of getting sick from the mix of dangerous chemicals and the inhalation of potentially cancer-causing substances.
Although some people think e-cigarettes are less hazardous than traditional cigarettes, the risk is still present.
Nicotine, formaldehyde, and acrolein are among the constituents in the vaping aerosol that is breathed. Commonly used as a weed killer, acrolein can harm the lungs permanently. Some cancer forms have been linked to formaldehyde.
However, vaping has an impact outside of consumers. The surgeon general came to the conclusion that those who are exposed to secondhand emissions, such as ultrafine particles of nicotine, flavourings like diacetyl, a substance linked to serious lung disease, volatile organic compounds like benzene, found in car exhaust, and heavy metals like nickel, tin, and lead, are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer.
Two studies suggest that the cardiovascular effects of vaping devices and conventional cigarettes are comparable, according to the peer-reviewed journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology of the American Heart Association.
It was shown that the combination had extremely detrimental impacts on heart health. Airway irritation and a decreased ability of large blood arteries to adequately transport blood to the heart, lungs, and other vital organs are two additional issues with usage of these products.
Why vaping has a bigger impact on middle and high school students
E-cigarettes have surpassed traditional cigarettes as the most popular tobacco product among middle and high school students, according to the CDC poll referenced above.
The 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimates that 23.6 million Americans suffer from nicotine dependency, although adolescents are especially susceptible to negative consequences.
The effects of nicotine on the areas of the brain that regulate attention, learning, emotion, and impulses have been related to an increased risk of drug addiction in general.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration claims that long-term tobacco use nearly typically begins in adolescence, when the growing brain is most susceptible to addiction.
The connection between smoking e-cigarettes and significant pulmonary conditions
While the specific dangers of vaping are yet unknown, a recent surgeon general’s report highlights the issue by stating that 5.6 million people are expected to die from tobacco-related diseases if present rates of usage among children persist.
The epidemic of e-cigarette use must be seriously addressed, to sum up. To stop pupils before they start, I am advocating for devoted prevention and interventional resources to be directed at middle and high school students, or even earlier in elementary schools.
As medical professionals, we are crucial in educating our young patients about the known dangers of vaping for their health. Youth health is important, and we must work together to safeguard this priceless resource.
Ref: https://yourvalley.net/stories/think-vaping-is-safe-alternative-to-cigarettes-think-again,346507
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