Adult smokers have turned to e-cigarettes to curb their smoking habit. But many are questioning the effects of the 20th century electronic vice on younger generations as recent studies indicated that there is something to worry about.
A recent study led by Pediatrics revealed that out of 1,941 ninth and tenth graders residing in Oahu, Hawaii, 18 percent have already tried using e-cigarettes in the past month, while 29 percent have tried using them once.
This statistics showed that the chances of adolescents' curiosity in using the actual cigarette is quite high. The study also compared "dual users" or those who have used both the regular cigarette and the e-cigarette to those who have used only the battery-powered units.
Based on the study, those who were exposed to both varieties of cigarettes were found to be more daring in taking risks. They did not receive good scores as well in terms of emotional and behavioral self control compared to teens who have never used them.
Teens are curious by nature and most of them would want to try something unconventional. In the age of the Internet, e-cigarettes or vaping seem to be the norm. This makes the regular cigarette more intriguing.
E-cigarettes were initially thought to be a safer alternative to regular ones. Regular cigarettes have dangerous side effects that can cause severe damage to one's internal organs. Vapes were supposed to be a chronic smoker's haven from tobacco's harmful side effects.
Vapes caught the attention of the world with their various scents and flavors in 2006. E-cigarette products and accessories sales were at an estimated $1.7 billion in 2013 alone.
Nowadays, people are more aware of what e-cigarettes can do to their health. Further studies show that vapes can actually make antibiotic-resistant bacteria much stronger and difficult to defeat. E-cigarette fluids also inject toxic chemicals into the lungs that can lead to various lung diseases.
The nicotine fluid and chemicals used in vapes contain nitrosamines, a cancer-causing chemical, as well as a chemical used for anti-freezing, making e-cigarettes worse than its conventional counterpart. According to the FDA, e-cigarettes also have traces of harmful solvents, which could turn into cancer-causing chemicals called "carbonyls."
