Data suggests that new laws and awareness campaigns about the dangers of vaping (many of which are started by students) have been effective. But for the millions of teens who are still vape users or vape-curious, the dangers are worth discussing.

THE GOOD NEWS
According to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, there’s been a drop in tobacco use among high school students. This decrease is driven largely by declining use of e-cigarettes.

THE BAD NEWS
The same survey shows an increase in e-cigarette use among middle school students. More than half of students who have tried vaping in the past continue to use tobacco.

That’s still 2.8 million teens.

One of the most dangerous misconceptions about vaping is that it’s harmless. Vapes don’t contain the tar found in paper cigarettes, but they are still full of nicotine, a highly addictive substance. It can interfere with brain development in teenagers, affecting learning, memory, and attention.

There’s also formaldehyde in there! That’s what we use to preserve dead bodies. There are also heavy metals and a number of cancer-causing agents. We’ve even had to name a new condition: EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury).

If you live with anxiety or depression, these chemicals can make your symptoms worse. Vaping can cause sleep disruption, chronic illness, and lung damage.

Please, stay informed about the risks associated with vaping and make choices that protect your health. Let’s keep those numbers in decline.