Vaping has gained significant popularity among young Canadians over the past few years. Vaping is not an innocent pastime. The alluring puffs of fruit-flavoured vapour hide a number of concerns, including addiction and lung disease. Unfortunately, many people falsely believe that this is a harmless trend.
The growing epidemic is the result of a number of things:
- limited knowledge/education about health risks;
- inviting youth-friendly flavours;
- creative targeted marketing‘
- ability to hide use, which makes it easier to use in places you cannot smoke
Those elements combined have made vaping products relatively accessible and easy to use by youth.
Preventing youth from starting:
If you would like to prevent a youth in your life from vaping, it is important to have the right facts about the reasons why vaping is not for youth. There are many misconceptions about the harms of vaping and a false belief that it is safe or, at the very least, harmless. This could not be farther from the truth. Teens need to get the real facts in a supportive and non-judgmental manner, so that they can make informed decisions. A simple ask not to vape will unlikely be successful. It is important to share information about the potential harms of vaping.
Supporting youth to quit vaping:
Quitting vaping has a number of obstacles. The growing popularity of vaping along with high levels of nicotine can make quitting hard. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. For young people who have been vaping regularly, dependence on nicotine is a serious concern. Those wishing to quit vaping should speak with a healthcare professional about the best options available for them.
