Vaping - the concerning results!
A lot of our young people thing that vaping is cool ..... but people thought smoking was really cool too, and then we found out about the health effects, and suddenly it wasn’t so cool but many people were so addicted, they just couldn’t stop.
The risk to your health is WAY too high to justify it.
In the end, you have to make your own mind up about vaping. But it’s important to remember that it’s certainly not harmless.
What are vapes?
Vapes are devices which produce a vapour (aerosol) that the user inhales. This vapour is created by heating a liquid inside the vape. There are a variety of different liquids, or juices, available. These liquids contain a base (usually propylene glycol or vegetable glycerine), flavourings and many also contain nicotine.
What are in vapes?
The e-liquids or ‘juices’ used in electronic vaping devices generally consist of three key components: solvents, flavours and sweeteners, with some juices also containing nicotine.
When you inhale the aerosol vapour produced by these devices you are also inhaling the fine particles of these ingredients.
Little is known about the effects these ingredients have on the human body when inhaled, with research in this area still developing. However, what we do know is that many of the ingredients commonly found in vaping devices break down to form dangerous compounds when heated, with some ingredients being found to have cancer-causing properties.
There are even instances where vapes have been found to include traces of toxic heavy metals leached from the heating elements.
What are the health risks of vaping?
The long-term health risks of vaping are not yet known. But research so far has found that vaping and second-hand vaping can irritate the lungs, increase coughing and worsen symptoms of respiratory conditions like asthma.
Many vapes contain nicotine, including products that claim to be nicotine-free. Nicotine is highly addictive and impacts brain development in young people and can cause problems with concentration and mood.
Vapes also contain additives and flavours which have been approved for use in food products, but haven’t been tested if they are safe when inhaled into the lungs.
It's really important to discuss the risks with our children - a device that was intended to help heavy smokers reduce the health risks to themselves as quickly become problematic with far too many already admitting they are addicted to vaping!
A fantastic and helpful resource in case you want to read more, or find advice:
