All About Vaping
Hint: It's NOT "just vapor"
About E-Cigarettes
E-cigarettes create an aerosol by using a battery to heat up liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other additives. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs. E-cigarettes can also be used to deliver cannabinoids such as marijuana, and other drugs.
Adolescence is a crucial period of growth and development, particularly concerning the brain. During this stage, young people are more prone to taking risks, including experimenting with nicotine and other drugs. Let's delve into the fascinating world of adolescent brain development and why vaping can have profound and lasting effects on their health and well-being of your child.
The Adolescent Brain: A Work In Progress
Adolescence is a time of significant brain remodeling. The brain undergoes extensive structural and functional changes during this period, as it continues to develop until the age of 25. One crucial area that is still maturing during adolescence is the prefrontal cortex - the region responsible for decision making, impulse control, and sound judgment.
The Prefrontal Cortex and Impulse Control
The prefrontal cortex plays a crucial role in helping individuals make rational decisions and control impulsive behavior. However, during adolescence, this area is not yet fully developed. As a result, teenagers often exhibit impulsive tendencies and are more susceptible to making risky choices without fully considering the consequences.
The Allure of Risk-Taking Behavior
Due to the ongoing brain development, young people are more inclined to engage in risky behaviors, including experimenting with substances like nicotine. Unfortunately, vaping products, often appealing to teens through their enticing flavors and discrete nature, have become a concerning trend among youth and young adults.
Nicotine's Impact on Developing Brains
Nicotine, a highly addictive substance found in vaping products, can have long-term, harmful effects on developing brains. Adolescents who use nicotine are at a higher risk of developing various problems, including addiction, severe mood disorders, and a permanent reduction in impulse control.
Synaptic Changes and Learning
As young people's brains continue to develop, they build synapses faster than adult brains. Synapses are essential connections between brain cells that are created with every new memory formed and skill learned. Unfortunately, nicotine disrupts this process, altering the way synapses are formed and negatively impacting the areas of the brain that control attention and learning.
The Danger of Addiction in Adolescents
Addiction is a form of learning, and because adolescent brains build synapses rapidly, they are more susceptible to becoming addicted than adults. Nicotine, being highly addictive, can lead to lifelong struggles with addiction if introduced during this critical period of brain development.
"Depression Sticks"
Mental Health Effects of Vaping
For many, the teen years are a period of intense stress. Hormonal changes, social pressures and academic challenges contribute to anxiety. Modern teens are more worried about societal problems than their predecessors — and social media fosters unhealthy expectations related to self-image and popularity.
In October of 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry declared a joint “national emergency” in youth mental health. In December of the same year, Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy warned that teens face devastating mental health effects unseen in previous generations.
Thanks to recent studies, we now know that vaping nicotine not only affects your physical health, it can also negatively impact your mental health. In fact, nicotine in vapes can worsen anxiety symptoms and amplify feelings of depression.
Current vapers have twice the odds of having a diagnosis of depression compared with people who have never vaped.
A study of more than 2,500 people ages 13-24 found that nicotine-only vapers, THC-only vapers and dual vapers (of nicotine and THC) were more likely to report anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts when compared with their peers who did not use electronic cigarettes or vape THC.
Nicotine Causes Serious Mental Health Problems in Teens
YOUNG PEOPLE VAPE NICOTINE-CONTAINING E-CIGARETTES TO TRY TO COPE.
Many misinterpret the effects of tobacco products as a stress reliever. Indeed, many teens who have used e-cigarettes started vaping to lessen feelings of stress, anxiety, or depression, and many continue vaping to cope with these feelings. Though they may be looking to nicotine for relief, many young people are unaware that vaping may make their symptoms worse.
The common misconception that nicotine relieves stress, anxiety, and depression, may be rooted in the cycle of nicotine withdrawal.
Irritability, anxiety, and depression are some of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and using nicotine relieves these symptoms temporarily. It’s critical to recognize that the cycle of nicotine withdrawal, subsequent nicotine use, and alleviation of symptoms all starts with nicotine addiction in the first place. In addition, the tobacco industry ("Big Tobacco") has invested significant resources in marketing that connects tobacco use with mental well-being, stress-relief, relaxation, and pleasure. Given these two factors – the cycle of nicotine withdrawal combined with tobacco industry marketing – it’s no wonder that people have misconceptions about the role nicotine plays in mental well-being.
Harmful Substances in E-Cigarette Aerosol
Contrary to popular belief, e-cigarettes do NOT emit harmless water vapor. Let's delve into the hazardous substances present in vaping devices and their potential health risks for users and those exposed to secondhand aerosol.
Heavy Metals
Shockingly, e-cigarette aerosol may contain heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead, which can cause respiratory distress and diseases if inhaled.
Chemicals Linked To Cancer
E-cigarette aerosol can contain chemicals known to cause cancer and lung diseases, posing significant health risks to users and bystanders alike.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):
At certain levels, VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, nausea, and even damage the liver, kidney, and nervous system.
Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerin
These substances, commonly used to produce stage fog, can increase lung and airway irritation after concentrated exposure.
Flavoring Chemicals
Some e-cigarette flavors may contain diacetyl, a chemical linked to a severe lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans.
Formaldehyde
A cancer-causing substance that may form if e-liquid overheats or insufficient liquid reaches the heating element ("dry-puff").
In 2021, 21.2% of SC high school students reported e-cigarette/vape use, which is higher than the national rate of 14.1%.
Nicotine+Stress
Stress is an entirely normal physical and mental reaction to life's changes and challenges. It affects both our mental and physical health, and it's crucial to understand how our bodies respond to various stressors. Stress can range from facing a class exam to managing busy schedules between school and extracurricular activities, and it's a natural part of our survival mechanism.
The Stress Response
When we encounter a perceived threat or challenge, our brain initiates the stress response. The brain sends signals to the adrenal glands, prompting the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
Adrenaline increases heart rate and provides a burst of energy, while cortisol alters immune system responses, digestion, and other processes in the body. This cascade of hormones prepares us to face the challenge head-on, making us feel tense, hyper-alert, and focused.
Temporary and Chronic Stress
The stress response is designed to be temporary. Once the threat has passed, our adrenaline and cortisol levels return to normal, and our bodies recalibrate. This is an essential mechanism that has helped humans survive through evolution. However, suppose stress becomes a regular part of our lives, like regularly encountering angry bears at work, during daily commutes, or in the midst of a global pandemic. In that case, the stress response system can become chronically activated. This overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost all of the body's processes and pose serious risks to our mental and physical well-being.
Long-Term Effects of Chronic Stress
Chronic stress puts us at risk for a wide range of physical and mental health problems. Some of the common health issues associated with long-term stress include:
Anxiety and Depression: Chronic stress can significantly impact our mood and increase the risk of developing anxiety and depression.
Digestive Problems: Stress can lead to digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and exacerbate existing gastrointestinal conditions.
Headaches and Muscle Tension: Persistent stress can trigger frequent headaches and result in muscle tension and pain.
Heart Disease, Heart Attack, and High Blood Pressure: Prolonged stress can contribute to cardiovascular problems, including heart disease, heart attacks, and high blood pressure.
Sleep Problems: Chronic stress can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or poor sleep quality.
Weight Gain: Stress can contribute to unhealthy eating habits and weight gain over time.
Memory and Concentration Impairment: Long-term stress can affect cognitive function, leading to memory problems and difficulty concentrating.
How Nicotine Responds To Stress
Let’s explore the relationship between nicotine use and stress. Many teens claim they began vaping as a way to cope with stress, but it's crucial to understand the potential risks involved in using nicotine as a stress-relief mechanism. Nicotine can mimic the body's natural stress response, and while it may provide temporary relief, it can lead to a harmful cycle of dependence and increased stress levels.
Nicotine and the Stress Response
Nicotine, the addictive substance found in vaping products, constricts blood vessels and increases heart rate, similar to the body's natural stress response. This can create a false sense of stress relief, making individuals feel temporarily focused and relaxed. However, the stress-reducing effects of nicotine are short-lived, and long-term use can lead to serious health consequences.
Nicotine and Cortisol
Research suggests that nicotine may trigger cortisol production, one of the stress hormones responsible for our body's stress response. Regularly exposing the body to high levels of cortisol can disrupt normal body processes and put individuals at risk for various health conditions, including anxiety, depression, heart disease, and more.
Nicotine's Impact on the Brain
Nicotine rewires the brain by activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that respond to stress. Over time, nicotine use can increase the number of these receptors, leading to a heightened stress response whenever the brain craves nicotine. This creates a cycle of dependence, making it increasingly challenging to quit nicotine use.
The Deceptive Relief
The relief felt after vaping is often mistaken for true stress relief. Studies have shown that the sense of relief experienced by smokers is actually similar to the relief one feels during nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine is an addictive and inefficient drug, requiring frequent use to maintain its effects. When the effects wear off, withdrawal symptoms begin, leading to irritability, anxiety, restlessness, and other negative emotions.
The Vicious Cycle
Because nicotine is an inefficient drug, the brain's craving for nicotine becomes a never-ending cycle. The brain chemistry equivalent of a meltdown occurs when withdrawal sets in, and the only way to alleviate it is with more nicotine. This creates a stressful dependency on nicotine, perpetuating the cycle of craving and temporary relief. And as a result, the disruption of the dopamine pathway leads to increased depression and anxiety symptoms.