The CDC Weighs in on Vaping
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that approximately 2.55 million middle school and high school-aged youths in The United States reported using e-cigarettes. Of these young people, nearly 85% reported using flavored vaping devices and half of these touted the use of disposable e-cigarettes.
These findings were based on statistics from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, a cross-sectional, self-administered survey of U.S. middle schoolers (grades 6-8) and high schoolers (grades 9-12).
Clearly, many of these students are under the legal age to purchase disposable vaping devices of any kind, but numbers indicate that they are still obtaining the devices and that one of the big attractions seems to be the wide variety of highly marketed flavors.
Deidre Lawrence Kittner, Ph.D., M.P.H, and Director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking points out, “The study shows that our nation’s youth continues to be enticed and hooked by an expanding variety of e-cigarette brands delivering flavored nicotine.”
How do disposable vapes work?
Vapes and e-cigarettes contain a liquid that in the vast majority of cases contains nicotine. As stated above, most vapes now also come in a wide variety of flavors that are appealing to a younger audience, usually including fruity or sweet flavors such as banana, watermelon, berries, cotton candy, and bubblegum.
Disposable vapes heat the liquid (also known as juice) and turn it into a vapor that is inhaled into the lungs much like a tobacco cigarette. The primary difference is there is no flame or ignition with a vape, so there is no smoke or the tar that comes with it. Vapes are also being used to deliver THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids, where legal, that have been shown to have some important wellness benefits for many people.
Impacts of vaping on young people
Still, the most popular disposable vapes among young people are those that contain nicotine – a CDC study found that 99% of them do. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. It also poses some serious health concerns for those who are younger, and the CDC has clearly called the use of e-cigarettes and disposable vapes unsafe for kids, teens, and even young adults. Here are a few reasons why:
- According to the CDC, nicotine is not just very addictive, meaning the more you use it the more the body wants it, the substance has also been proven to harm adolescent brain development. This can occur in individuals well into their mid-20s, which means even some “of-age” vape users could be impacted by nicotine. This, of course, is also true of those who smoke tobacco cigarettes.
- The CDC also points out that young people who begin vaping are more likely to smoke tobacco cigarettes in the future, which contain tar and other harmful substances.
- Vapes are a relatively new phenomenon and not much intensive study has been done on them, which means the long-term health impacts of disposable vapes remain unclear. More research certainly needs to be done.
- Disposable vapes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine, such as diacetyl, which can scar the tiny air sacs in the lungs, resulting in a thickening of the airways, commonly known as “popcorn lung”.
- The CDC strongly recommends that if a person has not yet tried vaping – they should not start.
Why do young people vape?
According to the CDC, the most common reason U.S. middle and high school students give for trying vaping in the first place is – a friend offered them a try. The most common reason young people give for continuing to vape once they’ve started is that they believe it helps them manage feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression.
Here’s the catch. Once a cycle of nicotine dependence is set in a young person, the need for nicotine itself and the fear of experiencing nicotine withdrawal symptoms tend to become their own sources of stress. It’s somewhat of a double-edged sword.
Vaping to quit smoking
There is some evidence that switching to vaping might help a person of any age quit smoking cigarettes. Because there is no tobacco in disposable vapes, there are fewer harmful chemicals in them, which probably makes them a better alternative to conventional cigarettes. Of course, the healthiest alternative is to quit both entirely.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the use of disposable vapes among young people is a growing concern in The United States. It’s important for all of us in the industry to ensure these devices are not made available to underage individuals. At Online Warehouse, we work exclusively with the nation’s leading vape shops and smoke shops that strictly adhere to the rule of law in their areas. We encourage all young people who are not of legal age to avoid trying disposable vapes, tobacco cigarettes, or any nicotine products.
We hope you found this post informative. At Online Warehouse, we’re committed to providing vape and smoke shop owners and their customers with updates about disposable vapes, edibles, hemp-based products, and more. Stay tuned for more posts coming soon.
Online Warehouse is a wholesale vape distributor offering a complete selection of disposable vapes, delta 8 vapes and edibles, THC vapes, rolling papers, pre-roll cones, and smoke and vape shop accessories. Enjoy great service, guaranteed quality, and wholesale prices with every smoke or vape shop order. To explore our entire selection, visit onlinewarehouse.com.
