Tobacco Use

While humans have burned and inhaled tobacco for over 7,000 years, e-cigarettes containing nicotine have only been in use for about 18 years. Since e-cigarettes are relatively new, the extent of their harmful effects on human health is not yet known. At the very least, the additive effects of nicotine are just as present in e-cigarettes as they are in traditional tobacco use. Nicotine has been compared with heroin and cocaine in its ability to result in user dependency, and unfortunately the developing teenage brain is the most vulnerable to these additive effects (David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 2017).

Tobacco and nicotine use have many documented health risks. The prefrontal cortex, which controls higher cognitive functions, develops throughout adolescence and into young adulthood. Smoking during this time has been associated with lasting cognitive and behavioral impairments, affecting memory, attention, and overall cognition. Nicotine consumption increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, as well as the risk for oral, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer (NCCDPHP, 2014). Read more...