The Risks of Vaping and Nicotine

In the past 20 years, young adults have increasingly used e-cigarettes and vaping devices, with one in five high schoolers using a vape device in the past month. Vaping devices (also known as cigarettes, e-hookahs, mods, and vape pens) come in various shapes and sizes but work in a similar way. A battery in the device heats liquid in a cartridge to a vapor form, which can then be inhaled. Vaping exposes the lungs to chemicals, including tobacco (nicotine) or marijuana (THC), flavorants, and other harmful chemicals that are added to vaping liquids. Although vaping may be less harmful than traditional cigarettes, it can still greatly damage a user's health. 

The following are three of the biggest risks associated with vaping nicotine:

Addiction: The brain is developing until age 25, and using addictive substances like nicotine causes neurological damage to important parts of the brain that can affect development. 

Anxiety and depression: Vaping can worsen an individual's mental health and increase the likelihood of developing anxiety and depression. It also affects memory, concentration, self-control, and attention, especially in developing brains.

Lung and heart problems: The ingredients in vaping devices, including the toxic chemical formaldehyde, are extremely harmful to a user’s lungs, and daily vaping is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks. 

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