05 Jun

Tough Truths About Vaping (What You Need to Know)

Vaping has been marketed as a healthier alternative to smoking or as a way to cut back or quit smoking cigarettes. But there are some truths about vaping that parents must understand if their teen takes up the habit.

Beachside Teen Treatment Center is here to help adolescents aged 12-18 overcome substance use and mental health disorders. Call us today at (888)254-0916 to learn more.

The Tough Truths About Vaping

The truth is that vaping carries serious physical and mental health risks for teens.

However, vaping or using e-cigarettes has been marketed as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. Due to things like unique flavors, sleek designs, and peer pressure, many teens gravitate toward vaping.

Even if vaping seems “safer” than smoking, teens who vape are at a high risk of developing nicotine addiction and lung damage. In addition, vaping can have negative impacts on teen mental health.

The following are tough truths about vaping:

Vaping Is NOT Safe

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “No tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are safe.” The CDC highlights the dangers of vaping and e-cigarettes, including the following:

Most vaping products or e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and dangerous for adolescents
The aerosol from e-cigarettes contains harmful substances, which can include cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals, and tiny particles that enter the lungs
Nicotine harms brain development in anyone under the age of 25
Vapid liquid can lead to acute nicotine poisoning when swallowed, breathed in or absorbed into the skin or eyes
Adolescents who vape are more likely to become addicted to drugs or alcohol and are more likely to smoke cigarettes later in life

Vaping Can Lead to Drug or Alcohol Addiction

Vaping can lead to adolescents developing substance use disorders later in life.

This is because vaping “hijacks” the brain’s reward system, which helps to reduce stress and increase pleasure. So, while many teens begin vaping due to peer pressure or out of curiosity, vaping can become a maladaptive coping mechanism for underlying stress, depression, or anxiety.

When teens associate addictive substances as their coping mechanism, they most likely aren’t developing healthy coping skills. Without healthy ways to cope with stressors, they rely more and more on unhealthy habits. This further reinforces the habit of solving mental distress with some type of quick fix—nicotine, alcohol, drugs, internet gaming, social media, etc.

In addition, continually using nicotine as a coping mechanism re-wires a teen’s developing brain—priming them to be more vulnerable to addiction later in life.

Vaping Damages the Lungs and Body

While it’s no secret that cigarette smoke is harmful to the lungs and body, many people don’t realize that vaping can also be damaging.

Vaping liquids contain heavy metals and other harmful chemicals—some are even linked to certain cancers. Furthermore, vaping liquids also contain tiny particles, which damage the delicate tissues of the lungs.

Some of the flavors in vaping liquids can cause lung damage as well. For instance, a flavoring chemical called diacetyl can cause lung disease from repeated inhalation. This is because, while flavoring chemicals may be safe to eat, they can be harmful when vaporized.

Vaping Affects Mental Health

Adolescents and young adults under the age 25 still have developing brains. So, introducing harmful chemicals and unhealthy habits like vaping can affect the way the brain develops. In turn, this can impair cognitive functions, such as learning, mood regulation, attention, and impulse control.

As a result of impaired cognitive functions, teens may develop mental health disorders. This is because cognitive dysfunction like poor mood regulation and difficulty with impulse control are also symptoms of several mental and behavioral health disorders.

Why Are Teens Drawn to Vaping?

Teens are often drawn to vaping due to factors like marketing tactics, tempting vape flavors, peer pressure, and even just curiosity.

Marketing Tactics and Flavors

By catching the eye of impressionable young people, advertisers have captured a new market for their vaping products.

They also ride the wave of several myths that teens have about vaping compared to traditional nicotine cigarettes. The marketing tactics of these companies often hide the tough truths about vaping and the dangers associated with it.

Marketing campaigns typically display attractive young people enjoying life while holding onto their e-cigarette or vaping device. They strategically placed their colorful, vibrant ads in places where teens tend to frequent. For instance, they often post their ads on popular social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

One popular e-cigarette company called Juul even makes their products look like USB flash drives with options for colorful decorative patterns.

Juul is adamant that they do not market to teens. However, Juul’s vaping products are so ingrained in youth culture through their marketing that young people themselves naturally promote the product. Teens even use the term “juuling” to refer to vaping and e-cigarette devices.

Peer Pressure and Curiosity

Peer pressure is a powerful determining factor in a teen’s behavioral choices.

Not all peer pressure is bad and the quality of your teen’s friendships is more important than the quantity of friends they have. Still, peer pressure can lead to negative behaviors, such as drug abuse, vaping, acting out, and sexual activity.

A September, 2021 article called “The Power of Peers” from the National Institute of Health’s News in Health states:

Teens are especially responsive to peer influence. That’s because their brains undergo changes that make them highly attuned to social situations. At the same time, the reward system in the teen brain becomes extra sensitive.

The article explains further how peer influence can be both positive and negative. It can also be somewhat neutral. For example, teens begin to form an identity at this time, and peers can influence benign things like musical taste and fashion style.

But adolescence is also a time when teens are first exposed to high-risk situations. Thus, teens are vulnerable to engage in risky behaviors in order to fit in. This is why teens are at-risk of participating in sexual activities, substance abuse, delinquent behaviors, and unhealthy habits like vaping or smoking.

In addition, teens might be curious about vaping or e-cigarettes. They might see them being used by family members, peers, or in the media.

Myths vs. Facts About Vaping

Unfortunately, myths can obscure the truths about vaping. These myths are misleading—causing parents and teens to shrug off vaping as “no big deal.” Because of this, it is important to dispel the myths about vaping with data and facts.

The following are some common myths vs. facts about vaping:

Myth: Vaping Is Just Water Vapor

Fact: Through the process of heating nicotine and additives which make them taste better than regular cigarettes, an e-cigarette is directly infusing chemicals into the body. Many of these flavorings may be harmful to a person’s health when inhaled as a vapor.

Myth: You Can’t Get Addicted to Vaping

Fact: Unlike popular thought, e-cigarettes do contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance—the long-term effects of which have been studied for years. Nicotine raises a person’s blood pressure, increases adrenaline and puts additional strain on the heart. Prolonged use of tobacco products or those containing nicotine is proven to harm every organ of the body.

Myth: It’s Safer Than Smoking So It’s Okay

Fact: Originally touted to be the “safer” alternative to smoking, the recent illnesses and deaths we have seen in the news as of late prove otherwise. Vaping has been identified as the cause of many reported lung illnesses (referred to as “E-cigarette or Vaping use Associated Lung Injury [EVALI]) according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

When to Seek Help (Signs of Vaping Addiction)

If you suspect your teen might be vaping or using e-cigarettes, keep a lookout for the following signs:

Smelling scents like fruits, candies, or desserts without evidence of their presence when your teen is around
Dry nasal passages leading to nosebleeds
Dry mouth, increased thirst, and drinking more water than usual
Teen always carries a pen, stylus, or USB drive (this may be a vaping device disguised as an everyday object)
Clearing throat or coughing frequently without an explanation like a cold or allergies
Presence of sores in the mouth
Irritability when in situations where they wouldn’t be able to vape without getting caught (such as on long car rides, family vacations, visiting doctor’s offices, or during school)

How to Talk to Teens About Vaping

If your teen is vaping, you suspect that they are, or you are concerned that they might start, it’s best to talk to them about your concerns. However, many parents don’t know where to start the conversation or what to talk about.

The following are tips to talk to your teen about the dangers and truths about vaping:

Start the Conversation Early

Prevention is always the best strategy to address risky behaviors like vaping or substance abuse. You don’t need to wait for your teen to engage in problematic behaviors: you can talk to them about vaping before they start.

Still, if your teen is vaping, it’s best to address your concerns as soon as possible. The longer they vape, the more likely they are to develop an addiction.

Remember that you are addressing your concerns and not yelling at them or telling them what to do. Instead, be upfront and honest about the signs of vaping you’ve noticed. Ask them straightforward questions like why they chose to vape, when they started, how often, etc.

It’s also important to address your concerns with facts instead of fears or myths.

Focus on Facts—Not Fear

If you suspect that your child may be vaping, help them to understand the truths about vaping and the dangers of what they are actually inhaling.

If you try to force them to quit, this may lead to them vaping out of defiance. When teens understand the risks involved, they are more likely to accept that it is unhealthy for them. In addition, you’ll need to help them find resources to quit and help them come up with a plan for quitting.

Getting Support: Resources to Quit Vaping

If your teen is vaping, they might need additional support to quit. The following are resources for teens and their parents:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Resources to Help Youth Reject or Quit Vaping
American Lung Association: Helping Teens Quit
Smokefree Teen: Become a Smokefree Teen

In addition, if your teen struggles with vaping or e-cigarettes because of underlying mental health symptoms, they need professional support. By addressing the underlying causes of vaping, they will be more successful in their efforts to quit.

Beachside Teen Treatment Center is here to help teens struggling with addiction, behavioral health issues, and mental health disorders.

Get Help for Your Teen Today

One of the most important truths about vaping is that it could be a sign of an underlying emotional, mental, or behavioral health disorder. Teens who vape could also struggle with low self-esteem, trauma, anxiety, depression, or other issues. Beachside Teen Treatment Center in Los Angeles, California, is here to help.