Vaping is when an individual inhales vapour from what is called an e-cigarette, an e-pipe, a vape pen or a similar type of product.
Originally, individuals used such a product in order to avoid smoking cigarettes.
However, more and more children, who have never smoked before, are now using e-cigarettes and vaping.
This is because e-cigarette manufacturers have started targeting young teens by using flavoured vaping and colourful packaging to attract a younger demographic.
Whilst vaping might seem harmless, it can actually cause your body a lot of harm. This is because many vapes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance.
If you are physically addicted to nicotine then you will most likely experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop vaping for a period of time.
Vapes and e-cigarettes produce an aerosol by using heat to evaporate a liquid which contains nicotine – amongst other substances – as well as different flavourings.
This liquid is sometimes referred to as an ‘e-juice’ or ‘e-liquid’ which is then turned into a vapour and inhaled into an individual’s lungs.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) [1] most e-cigarettes contain four different components, including a cartridge or pod, a heating element, a power source for battery and a mouthpiece which individuals use to inhale the vapour from.
It is also important to understand that it is not just nicotine that individuals use with vapes. In fact, more and more individuals are smoking cannabis and other drugs through their vape. This is incredibly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
Unfortunately, more people than ever are now vaping and using e-cigarettes. In addition, more and more children are using e-cigarettes and vapes, which is going to do significant damage to their current and future health.
If you are worried that you or someone you know is addicted to vaping and that it is doing the body harm, then make sure that you reach out to a family, friend or to your local GP for help and support.
If you want to quit vaping and using e-cigarettes, then talk to a member of the Rehab 4 Addiction team today by calling us on 0800 140 4690
E-cigarettes and vapes were initially invented and marketed as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, as they were said to contain less nicotine and be less addictive.
Lots of people started to switch to using an e-cigarette or vape in order to avoid the associated risks and negative image around smoking cigarettes.
Whilst smoking vapes or e-cigarettes is slightly better for your health compared to smoking traditional cigarettes, they are also damaging to the body.
Whilst they might contain less harmful chemicals, they also cause significant damage to your lungs and your overall health.
Many people might believe that they are making an affective, healthier choice by choosing vapes over traditional cigarettes.
However, it is incredibly important to understand the risks involved when it comes to smoking vapes on a regular basis.
Whilst the media have chosen to focus on these risks in recent months, millions of people up and down the country are still buying and using vapes on a regular basis.
In order to gain a better understanding of the risk and danger of using vapes and becoming addicted to vaping, read the below list of risks.
When you use vapes and e-cigarettes, you are putting your brain health at risk.
Abusing any product with nicotine in it can have a huge impact on your brain, your mood and your development, particularly if you are under 18 years old.
Your impulse control will also be affected, meaning that you are going to struggle to control any cravings or unhealthy behaviours if you continue to abuse these harmful substances.
Using nicotine, whether that is through cigarettes or vapes, will have an effect on how your brain’s synapses are formed, which means that the part of your brain which is responsible for your control, attention and cognitive learning will be affected.
In fact, numerous studies have found [2] that smoking e-cigarettes and vaping has had a huge impact on brain fog, with more and more people struggling to make decisions, think clearly and concentrate.
As more and more children under the age of 18 are now vaping and using e-cigarettes, it is important to understand how smoking and abusing vapes affects the teenage brain.
A study carried out by The University of Nevada [2] found that the brain does not finish developing until you are aged 20 – 25 years old and that smoking vapes will have a detrimental impact on the teenage brain, which might even lead to mental health disorders and potentially, self-harm.
Alcohol, cannabis, heroin, cocaine and many other addictions can all develop from an initial period of vape use.
Whilst some people might inhale and abuse addictive substances such as cannabis through vapes and e-cigarettes, doing so will only increase the likelihood that you will take part in other, risky behaviour and activities, such as breaking the law and harming your body.
Smoking the aerosol from an e-cigarette or vape is not harmless. Whilst people might believe that it is a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes, the chemicals that lay inside these vapes can be incredibly harmful to your lungs.
This is because vapes and e-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals including ultrafine particulates that can do your lungs some serious damage.
They also contain harmful chemicals that help to flavour these capes, including diacetyl.
These chemicals are incredibly harmful to your lungs and have even been linked to lung disease in the past. [3]
There are also a number of other harmful chemicals found in vapes and e-cigarettes, including chemicals and compounds such as benzene which is a chemical found in car exhaust fumes.
At times, there are also other harmful chemicals such as nickel, tin and even lead.
You would never expect an individual to consume these substances on their own, so why do people consume them through vapes?
By smoking vapes on a regular basis, you are not only doing yourself and your own lungs harm, but you are also potentially harming the lungs and health of those around you through second-hand vape.
Whilst not everyone will think it, smoking e-cigarettes and inhaling vape can have a huge impact on your mental health.
This is because of the addictive properties of nicotine, which many e-liquids contain. When an individual withdraws from taking nicotine, they will experience a range of withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine withdrawal can be incredibly unpleasant, although you will not have to attend drug and alcohol rehab in order to recover from an addiction to nicotine.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can include feeling irritated, restless, anxious, depressed and angry, as well as suffering from insomnia and other issues with relaxing.
You will also start to crave nicotine [4] and will find it hard to avoid smoking or vaping again.
You might be tempted to turn to vaping or even smoking when you are suffering from stress or feeling anxious.
However, it is important to remember that by abusing these substances, you are only delaying your stress and anxiety to the point when you have to withdraw from the addictive substance.
Naturally, one of the biggest risks associated with abusing vapes and e-cigarettes is that you can become addicted very easily.
This is especially true if you are aged 25 or under, as the brain is still developing and growing and is therefore easier to become addicted to substances such as nicotine, as well as other drugs such as cannabis, heroin or cocaine.
The more nicotine you consume through vaping, the more your body will become dependent on this nicotine in order to function day to day.
If you believe that you might be addicted to vaping or nicotine, then ask yourself the following questions:
If you answer yes to any of the above questions, then there is a good chance that you are addicted to vaping and e-cigarettes.
If so, then this means that you are suffering from nicotine addiction and will need to quit using vapes and e-cigarettes so that you can withdraw.
It is also important to note that a lot of healthcare professionals see vaping and smoking as a gateway activity to other activities, such as drinking alcohol excessively and smoking drugs such as cannabis.
Find your way out of addiction with our expert help – call our team today on 0800 140 4690
There are more than enough reasons to quit vaping.
However, it is not always as easy as it sounds, especially when you are physically addicted to nicotine and using vapes or e-cigarettes.
Whilst trying to quit vaping, it is normal for you to start to experience withdrawal symptoms.
Whilst these withdrawal symptoms are normal, they can make it incredibly hard to stay on track.
You will start to feel incredibly anxious and irritated during your withdrawal, which can be a big reason why people started to vape in the first place:
You should start to quit by thinking a lot about your own motivations for wanting to quit.
This could be for health reasons, for personal or social reasons, or because you simply do not want to anymore.
You could also decide to quit vaping and smoking e-cigarettes because you want to save on the money.
Smoking in general can be incredibly expensive, and vaping is no different.
By quitting vaping, you could be saving yourself a decent amount of money over the course of the year.
The next best thing that you can do to ensure that you are able to quit vaping successfully and for good is to pick a date and set yourself a deadline.
You should pick a date that you are going to have your last vape, and then put your e-liquid and vape in the bin once you do so.
You should make sure that this date is not going to be a stressful day. For example, try to pick a day when you don’t have much planned, such as a Sunday.
It is also important to be kind to yourself once you do, because the next few days and weeks to come will be difficult whilst you have to deal with your withdrawal symptoms.
The next thing that you need to do in order to ensure that you are able to overcome your addiction to vapes and e-cigarettes is to prepare yourself for any withdrawal symptoms.
You should make sure that you take it easy whilst you are coping with your withdrawal symptoms.
You will likely be feeling irritated during the next few weeks, so try to avoid putting yourself in any stressful situations, or plan any events or work trips where you might feel anxious, as your withdrawal symptoms will only make you feel worse.
One of the best ways to recover from an addiction is to get the help that I need and then find a distraction.
This distraction could be something such as exercise or a new hobby. You should throw yourself into an activity or hobby which you get some relief from, which should allow you to enter a state of ‘flow.’
You should also remember to lean on your support system during your withdrawal.
You should lean on your family and friends when you need to.
They should be helping you through your withdrawal symptoms and providing a relaxing and stress-free environment for you to withdraw in.
If you experience a craving, then ring a family member or friend who knows what you are going through and will be able to provide you with the help and support that you need in order to stay on track with your withdrawal.
For more advice and guidance on how to quit vaping for good, give our team a call on 0800 140 4690
More and more children and teenagers are vaping and using e-cigarettes. In fact, a 2022 study [5] found that vaping between the ages of 11 and 17 is increasing year on year and has risen by as much as 16% in just one year between 2020 and 2021.
Children are also using disposable e-cigarettes to vape with, which are not only bad for your health but are also bad for the environment, as most end up in landfill sites and are made out of plastic.
Since 2021, more people now vape than smoke traditional cigarettes.
A study carried out by Action on Smoking and Health [6] found that eight out of ten children across the UK do not smoke. However, of those children who have never smoked, most have tried vaping.
Most vapes and e-cigarettes are marketed towards children and teenagers, despite what many manufacturers might say and argue.
E-cigarette companies are using childlike flavours and packaging to appeal to a younger audience, and many shops up and down the country and selling e-cigarettes to young people when they should not be.
Lots of children who vape also do so because they wrongfully believe that vaping is harmless and is a better alternative to smoking. This is simply due to misinformation and myths.
If you think your child might be vaping and don’t know what to do, or if you’re a young person who needs help quitting, give our team a call today on 0800 140 4690
If your child or teenager is addicted to vaping, then it is important to start a conversation with them as soon as possible about their addiction and how they might be able to stop vaping.
It is important that you communicate your concerns with your child or teenager but in a calm and collected manner.
You should also try to educate them as best as you can on the risks of vaping and using e-cigarettes.
You should try to takea casual approach to this intervention, rather than asking them to come downstairs to talk to them.
Instead, you should wait until the topic comes up in day-to-day conversation and life, and then give your opinion on vaping and e-cigarettes.
For example, if you see an advert for vaping when you are out and about in public, or walk past a vaping shop, then try to bring the dangers of vaping up in conversation at that point.
If you are worried about your child using e-cigarettes and vaping, it is important not to criticise them.
Remember, most children and teenagers who use e-cigarettes and who vape are usually not aware of the dangers and risks involved.
Your goal is to stop them from vaping and using e-cigarettes, and they will only do this if they no longer want to use these products themselves, just as an addict to cocaine will only truly quit if they want to.
If your child or teenager is abusing vapes or even other drugs or substances such as alcohol, then this might be a sign that they are hanging around with a bad crowd and would benefit from finding a new hobby.
You should encourage your child or teenager to find a new hobby such as playing football, dancing, running or going to the gym.
Whatever their new hobby is, make sure that they truly love doing it, and would rather do that above vaping.
If their new hobby requires them to be fit and healthy then this is even better, as it is another reason for them to quit vaping for good.
For more guidance on how to help your child overcome vaping, call us today on 0800 140 4690
If you are worried that you are addicted to vaping and are concerned about the impact this is having on your health, then talk to your local GP.
They will be able to assess your health to see if vaping has done any damage to your body, focusing specifically on your lungs.
NHS Stop Smoking Services [7] also provides free help and support to anyone who wants to quit vaping.
They ofte suggest using nicotine patches or using other nicotine replacement tools.
They will also send you texts on a regular basis, which will motivate you to quit vaping and provide you with tips and tricks on how to quit vaping.
Need professional help to quit vaping? Giving our team a call today on 0800 140 4690
If you think that you are addicted to nicotine, then speak to a member of the Rehab 4 Addiction team today.
Our team of specialists are on hand to provide you with help and support on how to overcome your addiction to nicotine, and how to withdraw in a safe and productive way.
Quitting smoking or vaping nicotine could save your life and improve your day-to-day lifestyle in more ways than you know.
By quitting vaping, you will save yourself money, improve your health and avoid suffering from future diseases, such as lung disease and cancer.
Need professional help to quit vaping? Giving our team a call today on 0800 140 4690
[1] https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/vaping-devices-electronic-cigarettes
[2] https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/blog/what-does-vaping-do-to-your-brain/
[4] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/ss/ss7105a1.htm?s_cid=ss7105a1_w
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9865634/
[6] https://ash.org.uk/resources/view/use-of-e-cigarettes-among-young-people-in-great-britain
[7] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/nhs-stop-smoking-services-help-you-quit/
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
