A national study has warned of growing nicotine addiction in young people who vape.
What's happening?
U.S. News and World Report summarized the research, which found that daily nicotine vaping nearly doubled between 2020 and 2024 among middle schoolers and high schoolers who use e-cigarettes.
Meanwhile, the percentage of daily vapers who unsuccessfully tried to kick the habit rose from 28% to 53% in that time period.
This rise in daily vaping and a growing number of kids trying to quit implies a "severe level of nicotine addiction," lead researcher Dr. Abbey Masonbrink said in a press release.
The team noted that today's vaping devices can deliver higher dosages of nicotine, making addiction more likely.
"The nicotine industry is constantly evolving — changing the [...] concentration and size of products — and youth may not be aware of the high quantities of nicotine they're consuming," Masonbrink said.
"We're concerned that these products pose a high risk of addiction for youth who continue to vape."
Why is vaping concerning?
Although e-cigarettes are often marketed as a safe alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes, they contain many dangerous substances.
Nicotine has also been tied to numerous dangerous health outcomes, especially in pregnant women and youth.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that using nicotine during adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
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Yes — often 😬 The agency lists heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, cancer-causing chemicals, and flavorings such as diacetyl as other potentially harmful substances that can be found in e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes also threaten the environment in many ways, according to the Truth Initiative. For instance, JUUL cartridges, or pods, are made of single-use plastic that is designed to be thrown away after 200 puffs.
Meanwhile, e-cigarettes can leak nicotine and heavy metals into the environment when thrown out.
Vaping also contributes to indoor air pollution and secondhand smoke, per UC Davis.
What's being done about vaping?
Numerous campaigns, such as the Truth Initiative and Healthy UC Davis, are trying to convince tweens and teens to just say no to vaping.
Such initiatives might help explain why the recent paper discovered a decline in the total number of teens who had vaped in the past 30 days during the study period.
Meanwhile, reducing the plastic pollution connected to e-cigarettes and beyond is a much larger issue that we can all help to resolve.
A few simple actions you can take include opting for reusable shopping bags, purchasing sturdy metal razors instead of those made out of single-use plastics, and washing your hair with shampoo bars instead of liquid formulations that come in single-use containers.
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