Vaping is quite famed to the youths of today, and this has already been proven by the Market leaders statistics gathered by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO stated that the number of vapers rapidly increases to 48 million people in 2018 from about 7 million in 2011. Vaping has been regarded as less risky by the youth than regular cigarettes. However, I am sure you still want to know if it is bad for you. Keep reading to know the answer to your question.
The Question: Vaping? Is it Bad for My Mental Health?
Vape is a battery-powered e-cigarette that heats the liquid into vapor for a vaper to inhale. The liquid may contain nicotine, chemicals, and flavors. Thus, vaping makes the number of young adults who use nicotine increase. Also, with or without nicotine, vaping directly affects impulse control, especially of adolescents whose brains are at the developing stage. Mood disorders, damage to brain parts responsible for critical thinking, emotion, and memory are just some of the risks that vaping may pose.
Is Using Vape as Bad as Using Cigarette?
Several tests and researches are conducted to determine the effect of vape on a person’s wellness. These found that the same dangerous chemicals used in cigarettes are present in a vape as well. There is chemical such as propylene glycol that turns into formaldehyde gas when evaporated and is dangerous to ingest. Here is the list of some dangerous content of Vape.
Nicotine: Some products are described as “nicotine-free” but still may contain nicotine. Statistics also show that 99.6% of vape contains nicotine.
UFP (PM0.1): Ultra Fine Particles may be inhaled and cause scarring to the lungs. Also, exposure to UFP can contribute to pulmonary diseases and increase cardiovascular and respiratory disease risks.
Heavy Metals: Aluminum, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel, silicon, tin, and zinc are found in vapes which may pose serious health problems ingested.
Flavorings: Cherry, custard, and pastry flavored vape juices contain diacetyl which may cause permanent lung damage.
Volatile Organic Compounds: VOC, such as benzene, are carcinogens and are commonly found in paints, thinners, dry cleaning fluid as well as wood preservatives.
Negative Effects of Vaping in Mental Health
Nicotine damages the nervous and cardiovascular system affects cancerous tumor development and stillbirth in pregnant women. It also interferes with the development of the brain in the adolescent period, which hinders it from becoming healthy. Another health risk is the popcorn lung which is a medical condition caused by fumes inhaled that causes damages to the bronchioles and difficulty in breathing. Also, vapers are linked with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Because of the nicotine consumption from vaping, mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, impulsivity, and ADHD worsens.
This article shows the effects of vaping on the body. Since a small amount of nicotine is present on the vape, it causes a depressant effect. There are already some studies and researches related to this that are available online. However, because of the lack of concern, this problem is not widely arising and is not addressed properly, and hence, the youths of today still thought of it as less risky.