Being a parent and a speech and language therapist who work with children, I visit secondary schools and over the years I have noticed the increase in vaping trend in school-aged children. Whilst we have very little control on vaping in teens who are at university as they are adults, I feel we have a social responsibility towards all teens nevertheless and for that matter towards everyone.

I’m sure many are aware of the adverse effects of vaping on health that is now being uncovered by research and that it is not the lesser of the evils when compared to smoking considering the overall ramifications of vaping. Therefore, it should be taken up seriously and schools ought to have policies to address this growing pandemic. I know few schools in the UK have not only banned vaping in school premises, but also are taking strict measures when a child is found possessing a vape.

The teenage brain is highly susceptible to nicotine addiction and research has found that teens who vape are more likely to develop smoking addiction in future instead of the common misconception amongst teens that vaping is harmless. In vapes, it’s not only the nicotine but the other chemicals added which are also toxic to the lungs, body and brain. The scope of longitudinal studies on long term health effects of vapes are not yet there due to the  short history of vapes, however now vapes having about a decade of history, research is identifying the harmful permanent changes in lungs, cells, heart, oral health caused by vaping. 

Vaping has reached pandemic levels in universities where vaping or ‘juuling’ is seen as being ‘cool’ and ‘the thing’. Being away from home/parents, the newfound independence, no one to answer to, experimenting with new things and stepping into adulthood- all these factors makes this age group highly susceptible. University students and young adults are subject to high levels of peer pressure and the need to ‘fit in’ in every possible way and carrying a vape or joining in with others during the ‘smoke breaks’ ascertains that they are not excluded. 

It may be extreme thinking, but it’s worrying to observe how the vaping addiction has grown exponentially over the last decade, particularly in teens. It’s about time that we as a society take this matter up more seriously.  Schools and colleges have a social responsibility towards their students. Schools should help increase awareness in their students and have robust policies to discourage vaping as a health and wellbeing measure. 

Schools, colleges and universities are great places for dissemination of preventative health information. I remember when I was in secondary school, there was an explosion of drugs addiction amongst the youth in India. The society wasted no time and there were awareness raising through TV series, movies and talks in schools. One particular awareness raising attempt left a lasting impact on my mind and that was my school bringing in an young adult, an ex-addict to deliver a talk at our school’s assembly. Listening to the first-hand experience was highly informative, powerful and impactful and has stayed with me till date. 

The digital platform is a highly infectious medium when it comes to following trends. Never before has humanity witnessed the phenomenon of trends catching up at a such high speed. This, coupled with the online shopping technology, enables products to be in people’s hands within twenty-four hours of pressing the button on our phones. The documentary series ‘The Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul’ on Netflix is a great watch to see how the vaping industry cleverly marketed their product as a ‘cool’ lifestyle choice targeting the youth and how social media acted as a catalyst in making Juul an overnight sensation. In much the same way, we can use the cyberspace to break unhealthy trends and promote wellness. We need to be ahead of the game and be ready with tools to hack any toxic feedback loops.

Here are some facts on vaping taken from various online sources: 

• EVALI (e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury). Vaping can cause EVALI, a serious lung condition characterised by widespread damage to the lungs causing symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain. EVALI can be fatal and has been the cause of many hospitalisations and deaths in teens. **See table below

• Addiction: At the end of the day e-cigarettes have nicotine, and nicotine is highly addictive. It causes changes in the brain creating a vicious cycle where your body craves for more. E-liquids which claim to be nicotine free also have small amounts of nicotine.

• Misleading information: information about e-cigarettes can be deceptive and misleading. There is no sound evidence that e-cigarettes are effective in helping smokers quit. Rather, the rise of nicotine users in youths caused by vaping means that likely more people are now susceptible to switch to smoking cigarettes.

• Injuries: serious injuries and burns have been caused by explosion of batteries in vaping devices.

• Other health impact: Some ingredients in e-liquids are known to be carcinogenic (causing cancer). In February 2024, Alcohol and Drugs advice service, ‘Change, Grow, Life’ circulated leaflets to inform parents of incidents in London, UK where people became seriously ill after vaping from vape pens Vapresso and Lemonade Vape Cookies containing synthetic cannabinoids (SCRA-Spice). Vape pens containing Spice can have serious side effects such as breathing problems, heart attacks and seizures. Other symptoms can include feeling dizzy, vomiting, heart racing, sweating, anxiety and paranoia.

Chemicals found in e-cigarettes and their adverse effects on our bodies:

It’s a common misconception that vaping is a safer option. People generally fail to see the bigger picture. Vaping has attracted more youngsters and people in general, causing more number of nicotine addiction. The vaping industries’ clever marketing targets the young population by portraying vaping as a ‘cool’ lifestyle and socialising choice. In this digital age, the sleek gadget look of the vapes along with the multiple flavours are very hard to resist by our youngsters. Moreover, many of the hard to recycle components of e-cigarettes such as the single-use cartridges or pods, plastic, heavy metals, flammable batteries along with their toxic chemicals cause enormous amount of waste which significantly pollute our environment and wildlife. More proactive awareness raising to demystify vaping and stricter food and safety controls are needed to prevent the long-term effects of vaping on our planet. We need to be the collective superheroes and save our children from being consumed by the cloud of vape. 

REFERENCES

Yale Medicine: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/teen-vaping

Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21162-vaping

American Lung Association: https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/impact-of-e-cigarettes-on-lung#:~:text=E%2Dcigarettes%20produce%20a%20number,as%20cardiovascular%20(heart)%20disease.&text=E%2Dcigarettes%20also%20contain%20acrolein,primarily%20used%20to%20kill%20weeds.

America’s Toothfairy: https://www.americastoothfairy.org/news/4-ways-vaping-can-ruin-your-teens-smile#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20main%20ingredients,to%20cavities%20and%20gum%20disease.

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, July 2022: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00187-4/fulltext

Tackling the environmental impact of disposable vapes, The Scottish Government: https://www.gov.scot/news/tackling-the-environmental-impact-of-disposable-vapes/

Why are disposable vapes bad for the environment?, Sky News, January 2024: https://news.sky.com/story/why-are-disposable-vapes-bad-for-the-environment-13059299

Drug Alert: Vapes & Spice (22 February 2024): https://www.littlelondonsurgery.co.uk/News/c33ca812-0558-43f7-8a4b-42114b6639f4