Real Life Teens: Blowing Smoke, Vaping Teens & Smoking Addiction

E-cigarettes have been called the next generation cigarette and vaping the newest way for teens to start smoking.Studies state that 1 in 4 high school students have already tried e-cigarettes. Teens who vape are more likely to start smoking than teens who don't and nonsmoking teens who start vaping are 3 times as likely to start smoking cigarettes. Vaping is on the rise amongst teens. Vaping does encourage teens to start smoking. It poses a serious threat to teens and in creating the next generation of smokers. So what makes Vaping so dangerous? Most teens assume vaping is harmless, however it is not. E-cigs contain mostly "nicotine", which can wreak havoc with the cardiovascular system and lead to hypertension and heart attacks. Nicotine is an addicting substance and can work as a "gateway" drug to smoking regular cigarettes. In its concentrated, potent, liquid form, nicotine is blended with a variety of flavorings, colorings, assorted chemicals and toxins to create a vapor. It's this nicotine that can cause an addiction and fuel a teens' transition from vaping to smoking. What is the vapor made from and how does it work? Vaping might be hard to notice since there is no cigarette smoke or smell of it. Vaping liquids can be flavored to taste like fruit or candy and are becoming the new way for drug users to not only get high, but do it discreetly - at times right under the nose of parents and teachers. E-cigarettes are also very accessible and easier to conceal. Many vaping devices are designed to look like pens; compact, shiny and easy to disguise. These vape-pens may look like a regular pen, however the e-cigarettes deliver nicotine through this heated vapor. E-cigarettes actually emit more than just smoke. It is an aerosol, which is a suspension of particles, toxins and other chemicals suspended within a gas. E-cig vapor often contains even more particles than tobacco smoke. Vaping can cause as much short-term inflammation in the lungs as regular cigarettes and the nicotine-free vapor may cause even more. Also fueling the trend is the accessibility of oil concentrates. A vape pen creates an inhalable vapor with a small inner coil that slowly heats, creating a vapor that is inhaled. Water-soluble synthetics are easily converted into liquid concentrate that can go into the device cartridges and be vaped just like nicotine and other legal substances. It makes it nearly impossible to tell what's inside someone's vape. It could be nicotine, marijuana concentrate, or fruit-flavored or nicotine-free "e-liquid." Worst of all, it could be a deadly concoction of chemicals, known as synthetic drugs. The biggest danger may lie in the use of vaping devices. After a teen is used to some nicotine in the form of an e-cigarette, they may ultimately transition to traditional cigarettes to get nicotine more easily and quickly. Vaping devices are also compatible with marijuana, cocaine, THC liquids and other drugs, making substance abuse easier, less publicly recognizable and easier for a teen to hide. The devices' create a further danger for teen users who may not be completely aware of what's inside the electronic cigarette. Student discussion includes: What is vaping? What is the vapor made from and how does it work? Is vaping dangerous? Do e-cigarettes contain toxins? Are e-cigarettes dangerous? Do e-cigarettes contain nicotine? Is nicotine harmful? Is nicotine addictive? What are the short and long term side effects? Are teens who vape or use e-cigarettes more likely to start smoking?