Since the summer of 2006, when the first electronic cigarette was introduced in the United States, there has been a significant increase in the number of consumers who use these devices for vaping, particularly among teenagers. People turn to electronic cigarettes because they deem these products safer than the regular ones, as well as because they are trying to quit smoking altogether.

However, regular cigarettes, namely Virginia Slims, were also marketed as a safe product for women in the 1960s, the same way in which electronic cigarettes and vaping devices are marketed nowadays toward millennials and gen Z. With slogans such as “You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby”, tobacco manufacturers such as the Philip Morris Company made smoking look like a sophisticated and glamorous habit back in the day. Smoking cigarettes was associated with modernity, youth, and sex appeal, just as vaping is now seen as a cool habit among adolescents.

According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 55 million users of electronic cigarettes around the world, whereas in the United States, over 3% of adults and nearly 20% of high school students vape. Undoubtedly, vaping is currently all the rage among teenagers. Just as smoking slim cigarettes was during the last century among women from the silent generation and the baby boomer generation, who were made to think by tobacco manufacturers that smoking was a way to be seen as liberated. Nowadays, vaping is marketed as being safer than using regular cigarettes. But could this be the truth?

The Nicotine and Other Harmful Substances in Electronic Cigarettes

Unfortunately, the majority of electronic cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance found in tobacco. It gives the user a pleasant and relaxing sensation, but at the same time, it increases their blood pressure and adrenaline, thus placing them at a higher risk of having a heart attack. Nicotine is extremely addictive, making the users of electronic cigarettes have a very difficult time quitting, just as is the case with regular cigarettes. Furthermore, according to medical researchers, it increases their risk of heart and lung disease, namely:

●       chronic lung disease

●       asthma

●       cardiovascular disease.

Electronic cigarettes, also known as JUULs and vape pens, use a battery to heat a liquid, turning it into the aerosol that the vaper inhales. However, this liquid is made of a concoction of toxic chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic to humans. There are numerous shocking ingredients in electronic cigarettes, such as propylene glycol, formaldehyde, and heavy metals.

Surprisingly, people who use electronic cigarettes may inhale even more nicotine than regular smokers, as they can buy extra-strength cartridges that have a high concentration of nicotine. Another way in which users may inhale more nicotine is when they increase the voltage of the device to obtain a greater hit of the substance. Therefore, while they may contain fewer harmful chemicals than regular cigarettes, vaping devices are not safer and do not actually help people quit smoking, since they still contain nicotine.

The Vaping Epidemic in Teenagers

From 1968 onward, when Virginia Slims were first introduced on the market, we have seen these cigarettes, which often contained as much nicotine as regular cigarettes, marketed toward women as part of the women liberation movement. Slim cigarettes were advertised specifically toward women due to their design, as they were made to look more graceful in their hands than a regular cigarette. With their thin design, it was not long before slim cigarettes were associated with independent, confident, and successful women.

Alarmingly, vaping is considered to be one of the coolest habits among teenagers at the moment, as the use of electronic cigarettes among this demographic had increased by 900% in 2015. There are multiple reasons for which young people find vaping devices so appealing, such as:

●       the fact that they are marketed as being safer than regular cigarettes

●       the cost, which is lower than that of regular cigarettes

●       the overwhelming number of flavors in which they come, such as watermelon

●       the fact that they release no smoke, as opposed to regular cigarettes.

According to medical studies, exposure to nicotine from a young age can inhibit normal brain development, as well as lead to serious diseases affecting the lungs, such as popcorn lung.

Medically known as bronchiolitis obliterans, popcorn lung is a condition in which the small airways are damaged by the aerosol inhaled from vaping devices. Some of the most common symptoms of popcorn lung are shortness of breath and a dry cough, which become particularly bothersome when exercising or doing heavy labor.

In 2018, approximately 37% of students in the twelfth grade vaped, according to the annual survey of drug, alcohol, and cigarette use, which is a 9% higher number than the one reported in the previous year. The liquids high school students used in vaping devices ranged from nicotine to hash oil.

Author bio: 

Miguel Leyva helps people whose health was affected by tobacco use obtain the damages they deserve for the terrible diagnoses they received. Miguel works alongside the team of experts at Atraxia Law, benefitting from over 35 years of experience in evaluating product liability claims throughout the country.