VAEP Key Concepts Video 12: Vaping and Youth Smoking

Did you know that the first source of nicotine a youth inhales impacts whether they become a smoker or not? 14% that tried a tobacco cigarette first became smokers while only 0.7% that tried vaping first became smokers.(1) In other words, chances of a youth becoming a smoker are 20 times higher if they start with smoking as opposed to vaping.
It’s just common sense. Youth, today, are growing up in an environment where vaping is available. If you compare the two: smoking tastes disgusting, makes you smell so it’s easy to detect, and the smoke is very toxic so it’s hard to inhale. On the other hand, vaping tastes good, doesn’t make you smell so it’s easy to conceal, and the vapour is almost void of toxins so it is easier to inhale. Why would they even try smoking once they tried vaping?
There is a difference between a nicotine dependence and smoking addiction. Dependence is when someone takes in a substance and experiences withdrawal without it such as caffeine or nicotine.(2) Addiction is the same except it causes adverse effects such as liver cirrhosis from alcohol abuse or heart disease from smoking.(2) After tens of thousands of studies and almost 2 decades on the market, disease has not been associated with nicotine vaping.
Smoking is very addictive because chemicals added to a cigarette enhance the delivery and effects of nicotine.(3) Also, some of the chemicals are addictive in themselves such as acetaldehyde which acts as an antidepressant.(3) It’s no surprise then, that depression is a withdrawal symptom from cigarettes.(4)
To learn more, visit our nonprofit at VAEP.info. https://VAEP.info
************
Kellie Ann is wearing our Sweetheart tee in sport grey https://shop.vaep.info/?product=vaep-sweetheart-tee
************
References
1. Shahab, L., Beard, E, & Brown, J. (2019). Association of initial e-cigarette and other tobacco product use with subsequent cigarette smoking in adolescents: a cross-sectional, matched control study.
https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/30/2/212.abstract
2. Szalavitz, M., Rigg, K. K., & Wakeman, S. E. (2021). Drug dependence is not addiction—and it matters. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8583742/
3. Europa, Public Health. (2010). Tobacco additives.
https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/tobacco/en/index.htm
4. Covey, L. S. (1999). Tobacco cessation among patients with depression. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009545430570124X?via%3Dihub
Original music provided by WiesingerMusic.com
#VAEPinfo #VAEP #VEAPworld #vaping #vape #vapefam #TalkAboutVaping #DoTheVapeTalk #KeyConcepts #HarmReduction