Vaping: The “Small Habit” That Hits Harder Than You Think

From appealing flavors and scents, many people don’t think vaping is bad. The truth: vaping is bad for you and your health, just like smoking is. Vaping is when someone uses a small device to inhale e-liquid flavoring and a mist of nicotine. It works by heating liquid in a handheld device to breathe it into your lungs.

Why Vaping is Harmful

Vape cartridges or the substance that is inhaled often contain nicotine. Using nicotine during your teen and early adult years can impact your:

Brain development
Ability to learn and focus
How you handle stress
Overall mood

Nicotine basically rewires the parts of your brain that control attention, memory, and emotions. This makes it easier to get addicted and harder to quit.

Vaping, E-cigs, Nicotine Pouches, and Cigarettes

Vaping is just one way people use nicotine. Other popular forms of nicotine use include e-cigarettes (or e-cigs), nicotine pouches (Zyns), and smoking. These are all harmful as they release nicotine into the body in different ways.

As nicotine pouches are newer in the market, the long-term health effects on the body are still unknown, specifically concerning oral and heart health.

Known Health Risks of Vaping

Irritation and inflammation in the lungs
Asthma
Lung scarring
Organ damage
Exposure to cancer-causing chemicals

Even if you don’t feel the effects right away, the damage to your body happens over time.

Why Quitting Is Hard

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances. The withdrawal symptoms of quitting a nicotine addiction are severe.

So when you quit, you may:

Feel anxious and irritable
Have trouble sleeping
Experience cravings
Struggle to focus
Have trouble managing their personal relationships and performance at school or work

Help is Here: Support to Quit

Nicotine addiction in any form can be very difficult to quit. If you are thinking about quitting or want to learn more, you have already taken the first step: getting informed.

You can start your vape-free journey and request help and support today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is vaping safer than smoking cigarettes?

While vaping may expose you to fewer toxic chemicals than traditional cigarettes, it is still harmful to your health, and the long-term effects are still unknown.

How do I stop vaping?

Talk to your healthcare provider, develop a quit plan, get rid of your vapes, stay active and busy, carry a snack or gum with you, and tell the people you are close to so they can support you.

What are the withdrawal symptoms?

Some common withdrawal symptoms may include irritability, being unable to concentrate, lack of sleep, an increase in food cravings, and trouble thinking clearly.

Why do young adults start vaping?

Some reasons young adults or teens started vaping or using nicotine include to de-stress, curiosity, peer pressure, or the misconception that it is safer than other forms of nicotine use.

Sources:
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/nicotine-pouches
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/health-effects.html
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21162-vaping
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/tobacco/Pages/vaping-quit-support-young-people-factsheet.aspx
https://www.newportinstitute.com/resources/co-occurring-disorders/vaping-and-mental-health/