Understand the risks of vaping

Vaping is becoming a popular alternative to smoking and it is heavily marketed to young people.

Users puff on a vaping device (like a vape pen), which super-heats a liquid into a flavoured mist. Many people think vaping is harmless because users don’t inhale smoke, but vape mist can contain very addictive nicotine as well as other harmful chemicals.

There are many studies in the works right now to better understand how vaping affects the lungs and the overall health of users. Right now, the long-term health risks from vaping are not well known because vaping is so new.

Health officials do know that the aerosolized vapour (the mist from a vaping pen) contains dozens of chemicals, such as formaldehydes, that can be harmful to users. Contaminants like tin, aluminium and nickel can also get into the vaping products that users inhale.

Some scientists believe people who vape regularly can develop ‘popcorn lung’ from a chemical called diacetyl, used to give flavour to the mist. Popcorn lung is a type of bronchitis that causes damage to the small airways in the lungs.

Vaping products have less chemicals than cigarettes, but inhaling nicotine mist is still highly addictive, especially to young people.

Vaping can lead children and teenagers to start smoking

It’s a fact that children and teenagers don’t need as much nicotine as adults to become addicted to it. Since vape companies target their products to young people, vaping can lead teenagers and young adults to develop a nicotine addiction. Regular nicotine exposure can weaken a young person’s memory and ability to concentrate. It can also reduce impulse control for teenagers and even alter their brain development.

Studies show that young people who vape regularly are more likely to start smoking than young people who don’t vape.

Vaping can be used as a way to quit smoking as it delivers nicotine in a less harmful way than cigarettes. Even though vaping delivers a fraction of the chemicals found in cigarette smoke, it is not without risk. 

If you want to quit smoking safely, talk to a health professional about Nicotine Replacement Therapy products like nicotine patches, gums or lozenges that can help you with nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Remember, there are places to turn for help in the Northwest Territories.

If you are a young person who wants to stop vaping, talk to an adult that you trust or visit your local health centre to make an appointment to speak with a healthcare professional. 

You can also call 811 or 1-844-259-1793 for a private, confidential conversation with a registered nurse trained to help you quit vaping. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.