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Vaping has become popular in recent years, especially among young people. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation about vaping, which may have led to its popularity. If you’ve considered quitting vaping, you’re not alone. According to the National Library of Medicine, 30% of young e-cigarette users made an attempt to quit vaping in the last year.
Whether you use e-cigarettes yourself, or you are the parent of a young adult who vapes, your Douglas County Health Department is ready to provide you with the support and resources you need to retain your brain and stop vaping once and for all!
We understand, and research shows, that changing any habit isn’t easy and may take a few tries. Just remember that even if you try to quit vaping and don’t succeed the first time, you are building resilience and learning more about your habits. Every attempt gives you tools you can use the next time.
We recommend starting with a plan:
If you’re ready to quit-vaping, we’ve created free Quit-Kits that support the key elements for successful quitting.
If you’re a parent looking to help your child quit vaping, we have a number of resources and organizations that can help.
We have a number of resources and organizations that can help you or a loved one quit vaping.
Let us clear the air on the Facts vs. Myths when it comes to vaping.
Fact: According to the American Journal of Public Health, 99% of vape products sold in U.S. convenience stores contain nicotine including many of teens’ top choices like flavored and disposable products.
Plus, the chemicals used to create vape flavorings can damage the lungs, heart and immune system, whether or not nicotine is present. Among the most toxic are the chemicals used to create some chocolate and banana flavors.
Fact: Vape e-juice contains a combination of approximately 30 chemicals that cause short- and long-term health impacts. Some chemicals, such as formaldehyde, become toxic when heated. Most vape products contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. Vaping is especially dangerous for youth because nicotine can harm the developing brain, create memory problems, and increase depression.
According to the University of California San Francisco Center for Tobacco Control and Education, other short-term problems can include wheezing, coughing, sinus infections, nosebleeds, shortness of breath and asthma. Young people who vape are more than four times more likely to smoke traditional cigarettes a year later.
Fact: Despite sales laws, youth can still buy vape products from peers, friends, and relatives, and age restrictions at retail stores are not always enforced.
In 2019, half of Colorado youth who vaped said they borrowed their products from someone else. Two-thirds of Colorado youth say they paid an adult to purchase products or got them from someone who is of legal age.
Fact: Although e-cigarettes and vapes do not emit smoke like a lit cigarette, e-cigarette emissions do contain harmful chemicals including nicotine and volatile organic compounds. Despite the seemingly more pleasant smell, the effects of second-hand e-cigarette vapor are quite similar to second-hand cigarette smoke. The Surgeon General reports that e-cigarettes produce an aerosol that can contain harmful chemicals including heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and ultra-fine particles that can remain in the lungs.
Despite the potential risks of second-hand aerosol from e-cigarettes, a CDC study conducted in the United States revealed that about 40% of American adults think that exposure to second-hand aerosol from e-cigarettes causes minimal harm to children, while another 5% think that it causes no harm at all.
