The increasing use of vape pens, e-cigarettes, and other electronic nicotine delivery devices among adolescents in India is a serious health concern. The gadgets, hitherto believed to be safe substitutes for smoking conventional cigarettes, are associated with a myriad of risks—acute lung injuries to long-term impacts on brain development, addiction, and mental health.
Although most people believe that vaping is safer than smoking, researchers argue that e-cigarettes contain a lot of harmful chemicals. For example, acetaldehyde is responsible for changing the way the liver works. Other chemicals cause lung diseases and disorders in cardiovascular activity. The most alarming thing is the content of acrolein, which is mainly applied as herbicide for killing the weeds.
Even when there is a blanket ban on e-cigarettes in the country, these devices are still available for use by the youth. According to Dr. Vishal Rao, Group Director, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Robotic Surgery, HCG Cancer Centre, many such products were acquired online by young people who circumvented age verification or through local retailers who may unknowingly sell to minors.
Among the most overwhelming factors, which contributed to increased e-cigarette use among adolescents, have been highly inducible flavored vaping products and aggressive, targeted advertisements on social media. "Flavors and devices that attract youth are heavily marketed on social media and websites leading to wide-scale addiction," says Dr. Rao.
In the short term, vaping can lead to lots of health issues during adolescent years. Some of these are respiratory problems like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and aggravation of the symptoms of asthma. Vaping is also associated with the potential for nicotine poisoning, which influences rises in heartbeats and causes irritation in the mouth and throat.
There are reports of chronic respiratory illnesses like bronchitis, increased risks for major lung diseases, and cardiovascular issues—high heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting—thereby increasing the chance for heart diseases. "Nicotine addiction can lead to lifelong dependency and impair brain development related to attention, memory, and impulse control," says Dr. Rao.
Dr. Sachin D, Consultant Interventional Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Fortis Hospital, has warned that effects of vaping on heart and brain could be extremely harmful in teens. Vaping is likely to cause side effects like acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is life threatening due to additives of vaping liquids like glycol. It also contains, in some vaping liquids, cannabinoids which induce high leading to dependence and withdrawal symptoms causing psychological disorders.
Parents, teachers, and guardians should therefore be equally aware of these risks and sensitize the youth on the potential dangers of vaping. In order to save the young generation from these bad habits, the glamour associated with e-cigarettes needs to be countered with factual information about their health impacts.
The dangers from vaping should thus be raised, and rules set in place to the easy access of these products by minors. Only through mutual help in collaborative efforts can we help deter this rising trend and save young lives.
