Important Facts About E-Cigarettes To Spark A Dialogue

Editor’s Note: This is part four of a five part series regarding e-cigarettes. The first part was printed in the Feb. 22 edition, the second part was printed in the March 1 edition and the third part was printed in the March 8 edition.

Learn some important facts about e-cigarettes that teens should know.

• Vape aerosol can contain harmful chemicals.

• Vapes get their flavors from chemicals. While some flavorings are safe to eat in food, inhaling flavor chemicals can harm your lungs.

• Vaping can also expose your lungs to dangerous chemicals, like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, and metal particles like nickel, tin, and lead, which can harm your lungs.

• You can’t rely on a label to tell you exactly what’s in a vape.

• Some vapes that claim they are nicotine-free are not.

• Some vapes can be tainted or contaminated.

• You may be offered a vape at a party, but remember, you don’t know what is in it.

• Most vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.

• A teen’s brain is still developing, making it more vulnerable to nicotine addiction.

• Being exposed to nicotine as a teen can cause short-term and long-term effects on attention, learning, and memory that promote addiction to nicotine.

• Vaping delivers nicotine to the brain in as little as 10 seconds.

• Some e-cigarettes use nicotine salts which may allow the nicotine content to be quickly absorbed.

Any questions or wanting information on Tobacco and Vaping regarding the youth, contact Tobacco Education Specialist Teri Long- Meche Valley County Health Department 406-228-6261.