Vaping has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially amongst teens and young adults. It is often used to consume both tobacco and marijuana. Initially, vape, in addition to other e-cigarettes, was viewed as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes; however, like anything, vaping has its own fair share of risks.
A vape or electronic cigarette heats up to create a vapor as you inhale.
Some popular vaping devices include:
Pens
E-cigarettes (Including JUUL)
Hookahs
Most types of e-cigarettes have the following components:
A cartridge, tank, or pod that holds the liquid (This can be refillable)
A heating element to assist in turning the liquid into breathable particles (Such as aerosol - also known as “vapor”)
A battery to heat the liquid
A power button to control the device (Some vaping devices are activated by sensors when a user inhales)
A mouthpiece to breath in the aerosol
Vaping has been marketed to teens and young adults by associating the devices with wellness; however, there are considerable health risks one signs up for when using a vaping device. From lung scarring and organ damage to developing an addiction, it is important to be aware of the side effects of vaping.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah.
How does vaping work?
Every vaping device looks different, varying in shape, size, and color. The vaping devices create an aerosol byproduct by heating up a liquid. The liquid usually has flavorings and other chemicals which can make vaping seem less harmful than smoking, but that is not the case. The liquid helps deliver the nicotine, marijuana, or other drugs to the user through a mouthpiece. The user utilizes the mouthpiece to inhale the product into their lungs and then blow it out through their nose or mouth.
What are the safety risks of vaping?
Many people use vaping to ingest nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant that can negatively impact the adolescent brain which develops up until 25 years of age. A recent study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that nicotine is found in many e-cigarettes even if it is not listed directly on the packaging.
When nicotine is used by adolescents with developing brains, it can affect areas of the brain that control:
Impulse control
Attention
Mood
And learning
Nicotine interrupts the brain’s formation by interfering with the formation of synapses, also known as the connection between brain cells. Furthermore, when vapes are regularly used by teens and young adults, it can increase the user’s likelihood for developing addiction and substance abuse issues to cigarettes and other drugs.
Aside from nicotine, vaping devices can carry additional harmful substances, encompassing the following:
Heavy metals (For instance, tin, lead, nickel, and so on)
Ultra-fine chemicals that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs
Cancer-causing chemicals
Unstable organic compounds
Harmful flavors (Such as diacetyl which is linked to lung disease)
It is important to note that vaping is a relatively new trend, and we are finding out more information about it on a daily basis. Scientists are still working to find out additional effects of vaping, especially after strings of serious hospitalizations and even deaths.
Vaping vs. Smoking Cigarettes
Oftentimes, many people want to compare and contrast vaping with smoking cigarettes. When doing so, they often want to hail vaping as a healthy, no-risk alternative; however, that is simply not true. Like any other chemical, vaping has serious side effects.
Both vaping and smoking involve inhaling nicotine and other substances into your lungs. E-cigarettes heat a liquid to create an aerosol while cigarettes burn tobacco to create smoke.
At this point, it is difficult to say if vaping is more or less safe than smoking cigarettes since vaping is a new trend, but vaping certainly causes health problems as well. No matter what form you ingest nicotine or other drugs in, it is still addictive, and you are bringing dangerous chemicals into your body. When you burn tobacco, the levels of these chemicals are higher. Simply put, vaping has not been around long enough for us to know its long-term consequences.
What effect does vaping have on your lungs?
When you inhale the chemical particles while vaping, you can cause inflammation (also known as swelling) and irritation of your lungs. Long term, this can lead to serious damage, such as lung scarring and narrowing of the tubes that bring air into and out of your lungs. Researchers are still working tirelessly to figure out additional side effects of vaping.
Everyone says that vaping is just water vapor… how can that be dangerous?
Contrary to popular belief, vaping does not cause water vapor. Instead, a vaping device will create an aerosol or a mist that carries tiny particles of metal, nicotine, and other harmful substances.
Due to its name, many people think vaping is just creating water vapor, but that is not true. There is an e-liquid, also referred to as vaping juice, in vaping devices which creates the vapor you breathe in. These e-liquids are not water.
Instead of water, e-liquids contain:
Flavoring - Each flavor has a unique set of ingredients
Nicotine - An addictive and harmful substance that is typically found in cigarettes and other tobacco products
Propylene glycol and glycerin - Used to create vapor
E-liquids can have other additives as well. Some of these additional ingredients include:
Chemicals that cause cancer (Such as acetaldehyde and formaldehyde)
Chemicals known to cause lung disease (Such as acrolein, diethylene glycol, and diacetyl)
Tetrahydrocannabinol (Also known as THC)
Vitamin E acetate (Commonly linked to lung injury caused by vaping)
What are the dangers of vaping?
The general dangers of vaping include lung and other organ damage, addiction, and more. People think of vaping as a “safer” alternative to smoking, but that simply is not true.
The health risks of vaping include the following:
Addiction - E-cigarettes contain nicotine which is a drug that is highly-addictive. It is important to remember that you do not have to vape every day to become addicted. If you are struggling with addiction, check out our blog “How To Know If Your Substance Abuse Has Become A Problem.”
Sleep problems - If you are struggling with getting enough sleep, read our blog “How CBT Can Help With Your Insomnia.”
Lung damage - Some chemicals in the flavorings for vape devices can cause permanent scarring in your lungs. Lung damage can be life-threatening.
Cigarette smoking - Many people who start out vaping eventually work their way up to cigarettes. Cigarettes have a higher concentration of harmful chemicals in comparison to vape devices.
Cancer - Some ingredients in e-liquids are known to cause cancer
Secondhand smoke - While vaping does not create smoke like a traditional cigarette, when you excess the vapor, you are still exposing your family and friends to nicotine and other chemicals.
Asthma - Vaping can give you a higher likelihood of developing asthma and other lung conditions. If you already have asthma and start vaping, it can make your condition worse.
Anxiety and depression - Nicotine has been proven to make anxiety and depression worse. Additionally, nicotine impacts one’s concentration, memory, self-control, and attention.
How do I know if I am struggling with a vaping addiction?
Addiction can be a tricky thing to spot, especially when it comes to yourself. It is easy to brush off nicotine as a drug that does not have a significant impact on your life in terms of addiction, but it is considered to be as addictive as drugs like heroin.
The vast majority of liquids used in e-cigarettes contain nicotine, even when manufactures claim that the vaping devices are nicotine free. When you or your teen begins to vape, you or they are at a high risk of developing a dependency on nicotine which can be very hard to overcome.
Some symptoms of nicotine dependency include:
Intrusive thoughts about vaping
Irritability when you are unable to vape
A strong urge that can feel almost irresistible at times to vape
Continuing to vape even when you know or think it is harmful to you and your life
Vaping behavior that interferes with relationships with your family, friends, roommates, and so on
The inability to stop vaping even when you really want to
If you are unsure if you are addicted to vaping, read our blog “‘High Functioning Addict’: Spot The Signs And How To Get Help” for more information.
If you are addicted to nicotine and stop vaping for an extended period of time, you may experience withdrawal symptoms since the nicotine level in your bloodstream drops.
Some withdrawal symptoms of nicotine include:
Headaches
Anxiety - Read our blog “5 Ways To Calm Your Anxiety” for some guidance
Sweating
Irritability
Insomnia
Fatigue
Intense craving to vape
Hunger or food cravings
Depressed mood - Check out our blog “4 Ways To Naturally Treat Depression” for tips
Restlessness
How can I quit vaping?
Congratulations on making the brave decision to quit vaping! Although the journey will have its fair share of challenges, you should take comfort and confidence in knowing that you are taking a step towards better health, both physically and mentally.
If you want to quit vaping, try the following…
Make the decision to quit vaping
The first (and arguably most important step) in your vaping journey is to make the decision to quit vaping. You may have many motivations to quit vaping.
Some common reasons why people quit vaping include:
Having concerns about health and future risks
Cost of vaping supplies
Wanting to be free of an addiction
Being influenced by friends and family members
Not enjoying vaping anymore
Interfering with your ability to live your everyday life (e.g., not being able to sing anymore, keep up with your sports, etc.)
When you name your reasons for quitting, it gives you motivation and sets the course for your recovery journey.
A great tip can be writing down the reasons why you want to quit on your phone or a place that is easily accessible. That way, when you feel the urge to vape, you can look at your reasonings for wanting to quit and remember why you are making the smart decision to stop.
2. Set a date
Pick a specific date to stop vaping, and mark it down on your calendar. When you set a specific date, it enhances your accountability. It also gives you the opportunity to prepare and gather any supplies you may need to help you work through the cravings and stress during the early stages. For example, you may want to prepare by getting rid of all of your vaping supplies and a pack of gum. Then, whenever you feel a very strong craving, you can have a piece of gum to curb it and satisfy yourself.
It is recommended that you avoid quitting, especially “cold turkey” which is where you quit all at once, during stressful periods of your life. This may include final exam season, holidays, or just a busy week at work. If you are struggling with stress, read our blog “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy“ for help.
3. Get professional support
From individual therapy to group sessions, social support is important when it comes to making the decision to quit vaping.
Connecting with family and friends can offer an intimate level of support while connecting with an addiction therapist can give you structural, objective advice.
At Anchor Therapy, we have addiction counselors who specialize in helping teens and adults overcome their vaping addiction. In addiction counseling, our therapists are trained to help you overcome addiction by using tools for behavior modification, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
In CBT, you are taught to identify, understand, and change your thinking and behavior patterns. You will learn how to identify what triggers your unwanted, automatic thought of wanting to vape and how that impacts your behavior, ultimately making the decision to vape or not. Our CBT counselors will work with you so you can develop coping skills to control your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Our CBT therapists can also help you work through additional mental health issues you may face as a result of your withdrawal, such as anxiety and depression.
Vaping is a relatively new alternative to smoking, but that does not mean that it does not have its fair share of negative health consequences. Almost all vaping devices contain nicotine which is prone to causing a physical dependence on the drug. This can cause many mental health issues, including addiction, anxiety, and depression. If you are struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out to us today. Our addiction counselors will help you overcome your vaping addiction successfully!
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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