Vaping
Welcome! This page is all about vaping and e-cigarettes, giving you the lowdown on what they are, what's in them, how they can affect you, and where to get help if you need it.
What is Vaping?
Vaping is when you inhale an aerosol (a kind of mist) produced by an electronic cigarette or vaping device. These devices heat a liquid, called e-liquid or vape juice, which turns into the aerosol that is then inhaled. Unlike traditional cigarettes, vaping doesn't involve burning tobacco.
Vaping devices come in many shapes and sizes, some looking like pens or USB sticks, and others being larger and more complex.
What's in a Vape?
E-liquids typically contain a few main ingredients:
Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerine (VG): These are the main liquids that create the vapour. They are considered safe for use in food, cosmetics, and medicines, but we don't fully know the effects of heating and inhaling them repeatedly over a long time, especially on developing lungs.
Flavourings: These give vapes their taste. While many flavourings are safe to eat, heating and inhaling them is different. Some flavourings contain chemicals that have been linked to lung damage when inhaled. One example that has caused concern is diacetyl, which was used in some food production and linked to a serious lung condition called "popcorn lung" in factory workers who inhaled large amounts of it. Although diacetyl is now banned in regulated e-liquids in the UK, there are concerns about other flavouring chemicals and their potential effects on lung health when inhaled.
Nicotine: As we mentioned, most vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm brain development in young people. Nicotine itself isn't the main cause of cancer in cigarettes, but it's the reason people get addicted and keep using them, exposing them to thousands of harmful chemicals.
Other Harmful Chemicals: The heating process in vaping can create other toxic chemicals, sometimes at lower levels than in cigarette smoke, but they are still present. These can include:
- Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde: These are known carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) that can be produced when PG and VG are heated to high temperatures.
- Acrolein: This is a weed killer that can irritate and damage your lungs.
- Heavy Metals: Tiny particles of metals like nickel, tin, and lead can come from the heating coil in the vaping device and be inhaled. These metals can be toxic to the body.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): These are chemicals that can evaporate into the air and can be harmful to your health. Examples found in vape aerosol include benzene, which is found in car exhaust fumes.
It's important to know that even though flavourings might be used in food, heating them and inhaling them is different, and the effects aren't fully understood.
Myth Busting: Getting the Facts Straight About Vaping
There are lots of myths out there about vaping.
Let's clear some of them up:
- Myth: Vaping is completely harmless. Fact: While current evidence suggests vaping is less harmful than smoking tobacco cigarettes, it is not harmless. Vapes still contain chemicals, and the long-term effects are not yet fully known. The healthiest option is not to smoke or vape at all.
- Myth: Vaping is just water vapour. Fact: This is not true. The mist from a vape is an aerosol containing tiny particles of the ingredients mentioned above, including chemicals and often nicotine.
- Myth: Vaping can't make you addicted. Fact: Most vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. You can become addicted to nicotine through vaping, and this can happen quickly, even if you don't vape very often. Young people's brains are still developing, making them more vulnerable to nicotine addiction.
- Myth: Vaping is a safe way to lose weight. Fact: There is absolutely no evidence to support this. Vaping is not a weight-loss tool and comes with potential health risks.
- Myth: Vaping doesn't affect people around you. Fact: While there's no evidence that 'secondhand vapour' is as harmful as secondhand tobacco smoke, the aerosol exhaled still contains some chemicals. It's polite and safer to avoid vaping around others, especially children and people with breathing difficulties.
When should you worry?
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Advice and Guidance
What Does Vaping Do to Your Body?
Because vaping hasn't been around for a long time, the full long-term effects are still being researched. However, we do know some things:
- Nicotine Addiction: If your vape contains nicotine, you can quickly become addicted. Nicotine affects your brain, especially while it's still developing up to around age 25. Addiction can lead to cravings, irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating.
- Lungs and Airways: Vaping can cause irritation to your mouth, throat, and lungs. Some people experience coughing or shortness of breath. While vaping doesn't produce tar or carbon monoxide like cigarettes (which are very harmful), the inhaled chemicals can still potentially harm your lungs over time. There is concern that vaping could put developing lungs at risk.
- Heart and Circulation: Nicotine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, which could potentially lead to heart problems in the future.
- Other potential effects: Some studies suggest vaping could have other effects on the body, but more research is needed to understand these fully.
It's clear that while vaping might be less harmful than smoking, it's definitely not risk-free, especially for young people whose bodies and brains are still developing.
The Benefits of Quitting Vaping
The amazing thing about your body is its ability to heal. When you stop vaping, even quite quickly, your body starts to repair some of the damage and begins to recover. While the long-term effects of vaping are still being studied, quitting will always be better for your health than continuing.
Here's what can start to happen when you stop vaping:
- Within a day or two:
- Less Carbon Monoxide (if you were also smoking): If you were using vapes alongside cigarettes, the harmful carbon monoxide levels in your blood will start to drop, allowing your blood to carry more oxygen.
- Improved Circulation: Your blood circulation can start to improve.
- Senses of Taste and Smell: Vaping can dull your senses. When you stop, your taste buds and sense of smell can start to recover, making food and other things more enjoyable.
- Within a few weeks to a few months:
- Lungs Start to Clear: Your lungs will begin to clear out mucus and other debris that may have built up. You might cough more at first, but this is a sign your lungs are cleaning themselves.
- Easier Breathing: As your airways become less irritated and your lungs start to recover, you may find it easier to breathe.
- More Energy: With improved circulation and lung function, you might notice an increase in your energy levels.
- Longer Term:
- Reduced Risk of Illnesses: Quitting vaping reduces your exposure to the harmful chemicals found in vape aerosol. While the long-term risks are still being researched, reducing this exposure is likely to lower your risk of developing lung and heart diseases in the future compared to continuing to vape.
- Improved Oral Health: Vaping can contribute to gum problems and other oral health issues. Quitting can help your mouth become healthier.
- Better Mental Wellbeing: Nicotine addiction can contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety. Quitting vaping and breaking the addiction can lead to improved mood and a greater sense of control. Many young people report feeling less stressed, anxious, or depressed after quitting.
- Protection for Your Developing Brain: If you're under 25, your brain is still developing. Quitting nicotine protects your brain from the harmful effects of this addictive substance.
Quitting vaping is one of the best things you can do for your health, both now and in the future. Even if you've been vaping for a while, your body will thank you for stopping.
The Cost of Vaping
Vaping might seem cheaper than smoking cigarettes, but it can still add up and become an expensive habit. The cost depends on the type of device you use and how often you vape.
- Disposable vapes: These are often cheaper to buy initially (around £4-£5 each for a standard size), but they don't last long. If you're using one every day or two, the cost quickly adds up over a week, month, or year.
- Refillable vapes: These cost more to buy initially for a starter kit (from around £10 to £30 or more), but refilling them with e-liquid and replacing coils is generally cheaper in the long run than constantly buying disposables. However, there's still the ongoing cost of e-liquids and replacement parts.
Overall, maintaining a vaping habit, especially with disposables, can cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds a year. Think about what else you could spend that money on!
Where to Get Help with Your Vaping
If you're vaping and want to stop, or if you're worried about your vaping habits, there is help available. Quitting nicotine can be challenging because of withdrawal symptoms, but support can make a big difference.
Here are some places you can get help:
- Talk to a trusted adult: This could be a parent, carer, teacher, school nurse, or youth worker. They can offer support and help you find the right resources.
- Your local NHS Stop Smoking Service: While primarily focused on smoking, many services can also offer support and advice for quitting vaping, especially as it often involves nicotine addiction.
- YoungMinds: This is a mental health charity for young people and can offer support if you're feeling stressed or anxious, which can sometimes be linked to nicotine withdrawal.
- FRANK: This is a national drug advisory service that provides honest information about drugs, including vapes, and can offer advice. (talktofrank.com)
Specific Resources in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and Dorset:
- Smokefree Hampshire: Offers free personalised support to help young people quit smoking and/or vaping. You can find more information on their website or by contacting them. (Look for their details by searching "Smokefree Hampshire")
- LiveWell Dorset: Provides free advice and support to people in Dorset who want to quit smoking, which can include support for switching from smoking to vaping as a step towards quitting nicotine altogether, and then quitting vaping. They offer different types of support. (Search for "LiveWell Dorset stop smoking")
- NHS Services: Check the NHS websites for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and Dorset for local mental health and wellbeing services for young people. While not always specific to vaping, they can help with underlying issues like stress or anxiety that might be linked to vaping. (Search "NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight mental health young people" or "NHS Dorset mental health young people")
- School Nurses: If you are in school, your school nurse can be a great first point of contact for confidential advice and support on health issues, including vaping.
Don't be afraid to reach out for help. Quitting is possible, and there are people who want to support you.
Worried About a Friend or Family Member's Smoking or Vaping Habits?
It can be tough to see someone you care about smoking or vaping, especially if you're worried about their health. Here are some ways you can help:
- Talk to them: Let them know you're concerned about them and why. Choose a time when you can talk calmly and privately.
- Listen to them: Try to understand their reasons for smoking or vaping and whether they've thought about quitting.
- Share information: You could share some of the facts from this page with them in a non-judgmental way.
- Support them if they want to quit: If they decide they want to stop, offer encouragement and celebrate their progress. Quitting is often difficult, and they might need support through cravings or setbacks.
- Help them find help: Encourage them to check out the resources listed above or other local stop smoking/vaping services. You could even offer to help them make the first contact.
- Suggest alternatives: Encourage them to find other ways to deal with stress or boredom that don't involve smoking or vaping.
- Be patient: Quitting is a personal journey, and they might not be ready to stop yet. Let them know you're there for them when they are ready.
Remember, you can't force someone to quit, but your support can make a real difference if and when they decide they want to.
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