Ask the Experts Blog

E-cigarette usage continues to rise in popularity. Current and former smokers of tobacco often are heavy e-cigarette users as an attempt to quit smoking altogether. With this growth in accessibility and popularity, teens are also using e-cigarettes, which are now students’ preferred tobacco product. Flavors—such as coffee, mint, and cherry—may tempt young people to try these products. The same marketing strategies used to attract people to tobacco cigarettes are now being used with e-cigarettes.

What are e-cigarettes?

E-cigarettes are devices that allow users to breathe in liquid that has nicotine in it. They are also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems. They may look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some are even made to look like everyday items, such as flashlights or pens. Along with nicotine, the liquid in e-cigarettes also contains other chemicals and flavorings. When the e-cigarette is puffed, the atomizer heats up. It turns the liquid in the tank or cartridge into a vapor (aerosol). You then breathe in this vapor. This is called vaping. It mimics real cigarette smoking.

Dangers of e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes are dangerous for kids, teens, young adults, or pregnant women. They are not considered safe for adults who don't smoke. Little research has been done on e-cigarettes. Because of this, experts don't know how much nicotine or other possibly harmful chemicals users are inhaling. It's not clear whether e-cigarettes help current smokers stop smoking.

Users of e-cigarettes are inhaling nicotine. This is a very addictive substance. That ability to addict is a special concern for young users. Teens who get addicted to e-cigarettes may switch to regular cigarettes. This can then lead to the serious health problems caused by smoking tobacco.

At high doses, nicotine can cause dizziness and vomiting. Users who refill their own cartridges are at a greater risk for unsafe levels of the drug. Nicotine poisoning is a big concern in children. Children younger than 5 have been harmed after accidentally encountering the nicotine liquid.

E-cigarettes contain other harmful chemicals that can cause lung and heart disease. These chemicals include acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde. The chemical acrolein is used in weed killers and has been linked to severe, acute lung problems and asthma, COPD, and lung cancer.

Hear from pulmonologist, Albert Naveed, MD, at Lakeland Pulmonology in the video below as he explains the dangers of vaping and how to talk to children about these issues: 

"It’s very important that parent should have a frank discussion with their teens about this habit. I tell my patients that this is not harmless," said Dr. Naveed.  "Also, comparing this to traditional cigarettes might not be the right approach because many teens believe it’s safer. But what you what to tell your teens is that it’s harmful. And that’s what the conversation should be around."