When people use vapes, various health consequences can develop in users, especially among young people. This is largely because the lack of reliable information about vapers has created a false belief that these devices are harmless to your health and a good option for quitting smoking.
What Are Vapes?
Vapes, vapers, e-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes are electronic devices designed to simulate tobacco smoking. They work by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine and other compounds, including flavorings.
This product is frequently and misleadingly marketed as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes.
Consequences of Electronic Cigarettes
Dr. José Padua García, a pulmonologist and internist at Centro Médico ABC, points out that vapes can cause addiction just as easily as a conventional cigarette—sometimes after just the first or second use.
These devices carry additional health risks because they contain carcinogenic substances, meaning compounds that can cause cancer. It is worth noting that added flavorings make them significantly more appealing to consumers.
This addiction is just as difficult to overcome as an addiction to traditional cigarettes.
Despite many labels claiming that these products contain no nicotine or very low levels of it, the reality is that they do contain nicotine, along with other chemicals not found in conventional cigarettes.
Due to these characteristics, vapes and e-cigarettes are not part of any health authority-approved smoking cessation treatments, and they can easily lead to dual addiction alongside traditional tobacco use.
Consequences of Vaping in Teenagers
Electronic cigarettes can cause acute harm, often due to the chemicals they use, which are associated with conditions like E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI). This specific type of lung inflammation does not occur with conventional cigarette use, and in 2018, it led to an epidemic of over 2,000 cases in the United States. During that time, many young people between the ages of 16 and 20 ended up in intensive care units due to severe lung inflammation caused by electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).
In youth, the use of vapes leads to consequences such as nicotine dependence, respiratory problems, impaired brain development, a higher risk of other addictions (as users become more open to experimenting with other addictive substances), psychological effects, and even a risk of physical injury.
Some of the physical effects developed from vaping include respiratory issues, cardiovascular impacts, and oral and dental damage, among others.
At the Internal Medicine Department at Centro Médico ABC, we provide specialized care. Contact us today!
