E-cigarettes stands for electronic cigarettes. These e-cigarettes serve the same function as a normal cigarette except that they are rechargeable; they also contain liquid that is nicotine mixed with a base which is usually propylene glycol and comes in different flavours. Vapes and JUULs are almost completely the same thing but they do have some differences. Vape is the slang for the vaporiser used in e-cigarettes, so vaping would be to use a vaporiser or e-cigarette to inhale a vapor that contains nicotine. Whilst JUUL on the other hand is a particular name for a brand that sells e-cigarettes. This brand is rather popular, about 40% of e-cigarettes are sold through that brand. So vaping could refer to using a JUUL as well as other e-cigarette brands, but juuling refers to using only that particular brand’s e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes, 1st introduced as a way to help smokers reduce or quit smoking, have become quite popular among the youth because of a couple of reasons. These reasons are mainly because of the flavours and the fact that it can be used in no smoking areas secretly because of the different designs it comes in. E-cigarettes don’t look like normal cigarettes, they usually look like USBs, pens, and other everyday items. This makes it harder to tell that one is carrying a cigarette with them. Many people are unaware of the damages that e-cigarettes can cause. So, in this article I will be giving some background on e-cigarettes and the effects it can have on its users.
Reasons for its popularity
Expectancies, meaning the outcomes that are expected from engaging in certain behaviors is thought to be a factor in determining e-cigarette use. A study found that the positive expectancies of e-cigarette use were associated with increased likelihood of current use. Some positive expectancies among adolescents are, enhancement of social skills (gaining respect of friends, increasing chances of being liked, improving social status and popularity), affecting regulation (feeling calm and reducing stress or boredom), and positive sensory experiences (enjoying tastes and smells). Some negative expectancies among adolescents include, health concerns, addiction, and an aversive sensory experience. These negative expectancies on the other hand were reported as deterrents toward initiating the use of e-cigarette. One thing that shows that significantly, was that among most current e-cigarette users, almost half of them believed that e-cigarettes were not bad for their health, and among non e-cigarette users only 7.5% believed that. This tells us that when someone believes they may get some health issues in association with taking the e-cigarettes, they most likely will not take it in the 1st place.
One report shows that 80% of 15 to 24 year olds that have ever tried JUUL were also past 30 day users, meaning when a young person tries JUUL they are more likely to continue using it than not. Each JUUL pod contains the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. Growing social norms and peer influence is another factor as to why more young adolescents are using e-cigarettes more and more. The youngsters that use e-cigarettes are 3 times more likely to try combustible cigarettes and 4 times more likely to try cannabis, as JUULs and other e-cigarettes are providing new ways to use their device to inhale cannabinoids and other psychoactive drugs. More than half of the young e-cigarette users don’t know what’s inside the e-cigarettes or that it even contains nicotine. Though it is also true that e-cigarettes have 9 to 450 times fewer harmful substances than combustible cigarettes, making it slightly safer than combustible cigarettes (Fadus, Smith, and Squeglia, 2019).
Currently, It is much more a social norm for young adolescents to use e-cigarettes than the traditional combustible ones, just like how the combustible ones gained popularity among the youth a couple of years back. One of the main reasons e-cigarette experimentation has become popular amongst high schoolers and college students is because of peer pressure. So many of these young kids try it in the 1st place because they perceive it as the cool new thing. Having family members who use e-cigarettes increases the chance of a young one trying it by 3 times, and having friends who use e-cigarettes increases the chances of a young one trying it by 7 times. Social media such as Twitter are seen to portray the use of e-cigarettes in a more positive light which could be one reason adolescents are gaining an interest in the device. When an adolescent’s friend has a more positive response to using e-cigarettes they too will most likely use it, but when the response from the friend is negative they most likely won’t try it. This further cements the fact that peer pressure is a leading factor as to why e-cigarettes are gaining popularity these days among the youth.
Side effects
Some shorter term effects are,
- Coughing
- Dry or sore mouth and throat
- Shortness of breath
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Heart palpitations
- Sleepiness
- Eye irritation
- Weakened taste
- Burning or scratchy feeling in mouth, lips, and throat
Though the long term effects of using e-cigarettes aren’t completely known as they are quite new, researchers have been able to link some longer term effects to using them,
- Blood vessel damage which could lead to an increased risk of heart disease.
- Furthermore, people that use e-cigarettes regularly have a risk of experiencing vascular disease similar to those of people that use traditional cigarettes regularly.
- Nicotine addiction
- Severe lung injury
- Seizures
- Strokes
- Heart attacks, the odds of a heart attack increases by 42% amongst e-cigarettes users compared to one’s that don’t use it.
- Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine which can negatively impact an adolescent’s brain development.
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Lung disease
- Chronic bronchitis
- Insulin resistance which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
- Some studies have found harmful substances such as formaldehyde and an antifreeze substance in e-cigarettes.
- Carcinogens can be found in the vapor released by the e-cigarettes, and can be harmful to nearby people.
- Studies show that an exposure to e-cigarettes can reduce the function of the lungs, increase airway inflammation and weaken the immune system which inturn increases the risk of respiratory infections.
- Evali which means e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury. This evali is the most serious vaping related side effect. Its symptoms are similar to those of the flu or other respiratory or digestive issues. When a patient is hospitalized for evali they may need a ventilator to help them breathe, and in some cases there were patients who died after their release from the hospital.
- Popcorn lung also known as bronchiolitis obliterans and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) which was formerly known as bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) are respiratory and lung diseases caused by the usage of e-cigarettes. Popcorn lung affects the bronchioles, which is the lungs smallest airway. It causes damage and inflammation which leads to scarring that then blocks the bronchioles. This Popcorn lung is linked to diacetyl, a chemical that is used to flavor some foods and e-cigarette liquids. COP also affects the bronchioles, but it also causes inflammation in the alveoli, which are the air sacs at the end of the bronchioles, and the walls of the small bronchi.
- Studies show that women who use e-cigarettes whilst pregnant are 33% more likely to give birth to low weight babies. Nicotine damages a baby’s lung and brain development so it’s safe to say using e-cigarettes while pregnant is highly inadvisable.
- E-cigarettes users have a lower risk of developing cancer than traditional cigarettes users, but their risk is higher than non smokers. As well as nicotine, the vapor from e-cigarettes contains many potentially carcinogenic compounds such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, chromium, acrolein, N-nitrosamines and many others. In a study to test if e-cigarettes are linked to cancer scientists exposed cells from various parts of the body to e-cig vapor and found the chemicals caused DNA damage, inflammation and cell death.
Here are some types of cancers linked to the usage of e-cigarettes,
- Oral. The liquid vapor in e-cigarettes exposes the pharynx and bronchial airways to carbonyls, which are a type of carcinogens that react with DNA and cause inflammation and cell death.
2. Lung. The chemicals found in e-cigarette aerosols can cause DNA damage and inflammation in lung cells that were cultured in labs.
3. Head and neck. DNA damage has potentially been linked to increased oxidative stress from e-cigarette vapor. The liquids in e-cigarettes with flavor appeared to be even more harmful. (Llamas, 2023)
Conclusion
Though e-cigarettes do expose users to lesser harmful substances than traditional cigarettes, they are not a risk free alternative and should not be used as such. E-cigarettes have too many side effects to ignore, and as it is quite a newer invention there are still possibly more and bigger side effects that it may pose to its users in the future. The best way to stop your young child from using e-cigarettes or continue using it is by sitting down and having an honest and open conversation with them about how it is not safe and could cause many damages to their body if they were to use it. Important conversations like these with your young one could potentially lower the chance of them getting peer pressured into using e-cigarettes. I hope this article helped inform you about what e-cigarettes are and the side effects it could cause to its users.
References
American Lung Association. (n.d.). (2023, September 28). E-cigarettes & Vaping: What Parents Should Know
Fadus, M., C., Smith, T., T., Squeglia, L., M. (2019, May 23). The rise of e-cigarettes, pod mod devices, and JUUL among youth: Factors influencing use, health implications, and downstream effects
Llamas, M., BCPA. (2023, September 5). JUUL and E-Cigarette Side Effects
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. (2018, July 3). The Medical Minute: Hazards of juuling or vaping
The Recovery Village. (2023, June 20). Are Vaping and Juuling the Same Thing?
