Vaping
What is Vaping? How Common is it?
Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol, often referred to as vapor, produced by a vape or e-cigarette. Vapes and e-cigarettes are the same things, though youth tend to use “vapes.” Vaping has become more popular among teens than regular cigarettes, primarily since vaping devices can be used for anything from highly-concentrated nicotine flavors like mango, blueberry, or tutti frutti, to potent concentrates of THC (the chemical compound in marijuana that produces the high). The most current U.S. use data available (from the Monitoring the Future 2018 Survey Results via the National Institute on Drug Abuse) indicates that in the past year:
One of the slang terms for vaping, known as JUULing (“jeweling”), comes from the JUUL brand device that looks more like a flash drive than a vaping device. Read more about JUUL’s early marketing tactics towards youth (Forbes, November 2018).
Vaping is also often sold as a “safer” alternative to cigarettes. Some teens are under the false assumption that just because e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, they’re safe for teens to use. Vaping may be seen as a way of dealing with stress, depression, anxiety, or boredom.
Young People Under Age 25 are More Easily Addicted.
Each time a new memory is created or a new skill is learned, stronger connections – or synapses – are built between brain cells. Young people’s brains build synapses faster than adult brains. Because addiction is a form of learning, adolescents can get addicted more easily than adults. The nicotine in e-cigarettes and other tobacco products can also prime the adolescent brain for addiction to other drugs such as cocaine.” – U.S. Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, M.D.
Look for the Warning Signs that your child may be vaping:
- Vaping equipment or related product packaging: See something you don’t recognize in the trash? Is your child carrying an unfamiliar device? Ask about it, and get familiar with what vapes and their e-juices look like.
- Unfamiliar online purchases or packages: Today, many youth buy vapes and e-juices online, so if there are unfamiliar charges on a card or odd-looking packages coming to your home, it’s time to ask questions.
- Pleasant smell: Youth are more drawn to fruity or sweet flavors in vapes than flavors that mimic tobacco. By design, the more discreet vaping products don’t produce a lot of aerosol or scent. The smell is also faint, but if you catch an aroma of bubble gum or watermelon, it might be a sign that someone is vaping nearby.
- Increased thirst or nose bleeds: Vaping removes hydration from the skin of the mouth and throat, leaving a dry, flat palate. If you see your child increasing their liquid consumption (and urinating more), this may be a sign of vaping. Just like vaping dries the mouth, it dries the skin of the nose too. When the nose is too dry, it can bleed, which might be another clue.
- Decreased caffeine use: The combination of vaping nicotine and drinking caffeine can cause anxiety and severe mood swings. Many vape users will decrease their caffeine intake to avoid these side effects.
If you think your child is vaping, ask why vaping might be attractive to them, and talk to them about how to replace vaping with a healthier alternative behavior. There is also cessation help available specifically for teens at My Life My Quit.
Helpful Resources for Talking About Vaping