The process of the socialization of youth is a phenomenon that is actively researched by marketers to identify trends and interests that teenagers prefer. Due to the prevalence of mass consciousness as a common form of interaction in this age group, individual habits and lifestyles are often adopted by adolescents and become widespread. One of these habits is smoking e-cigarettes, vapes, and JUUL. The global fight against smoking has led to the fact that the use of these devices is often not perceived negatively. However, the negative effects of vaping, in particular, on health are actively in the medical community. The content of harmful substances in the composition of liquid for e-cigarettes and other smoking devices is a severe threat to the health of young people and entails negative effects on their growing organisms.
High Proportion of Harmful Substances
Although one of the reasons that encourage young people to try smoking e-cigarettes and other vaping tools is the harmlessness popularized in the media, the situation remains controversial. According to Fadus et al. (2019), “there is still concern regarding carcinogens that are present in e-cigarette vapors” (p. 86). Despite the fact that these tools are not based on the combustion principle, toxic substances from liquid mixtures enter the body. As Singh et al. (2020) state, the key components of such liquids are usually propylene glycol utilized in the chemical industry as a solvent and glycerin that is used in detergents. Aromatic additives based on chemical compounds also have a negative effect on the respiratory tract. Pure nicotine found in these liquids has a negative effect on the nervous system. The intake of these substances by inhalation cannot be considered a harmless process due to the absorption of vapors by the cells of the lungs. As a result, the respiratory system becomes vulnerable, which is dangerous at an early age due to the development of chronic lung diseases and other concomitant problems.
Psychological Addiction as a Manifestation of Harm
One of the stereotypes promoted by marketers today is that smoking e-cigarettes and vapes can reduce stress and help relax. However, in addition to the negative effects on the respiratory system, a psychological addiction develops. Cavallo et al. (2019) note that adolescents who form the mechanism of decision-making based on imitation begin to experience an acute need to smoke liquid mixtures, which is comparable to the effects of regular cigarettes on the body. Fadus et al. (2019), in turn, cite the results of a study and state that the trend towards evaluating e-cigarettes as harmless is only observed among teenagers who vape regularly. As the authors state, among young non-cigarette users, only 7.5% are inclined to the same opinion (Fadus et al., 2019, p. 88). This fact means that young people are addicted to vaping and tend to believe in its harmlessness.
Another factor that affects the psychological health of young people who smoke e-cigarettes is the misconception about the fashion for this behavior. Pepper et al. (2017) argue that “adolescents overestimate the prevalence of cigarette smoking among their peers” (p. 602). As a result, in an effort to imitate one another and follow a temporary trend, teenagers adopt this habit and become psychologically addicted. The harmless alternative promoted as a key incentive to increase sales of e-cigarettes, vapes, and JUUL is driving the ever-increasing number of teen vapers. This, as Sanchez et al. (2020) remark, generates false representations and priorities and creates biased behaviors. Due to the fact that the harm of e-cigarettes is not advertised or popularized, their use is perceived positively. However, the psychological addiction that develops over time is a significant side effect.
Recognition of Negative Health Effects by Official Agencies
The information about the complete harmlessness of vapes and e-cigarettes may be considered false in view of official agencies’ statements. Fadus et al. (2019) provide an example of a claim from the US Food and Drug Administration that specifies the rules for the sale of such products. The researchers argue that due to this initiative, manufacturers of e-cigarettes and vapes were obliged to post health information on packages and suspend retail sales to reduce the target teenage audience (Fadus et al., 2019). Such concerns indicate that public health authorities confirm the threats posed by smoking liquid blends and regulate restrictive conditions for marketers. Since e-cigarettes contain nicotine as an essential ingredient, Pepper et al. (2017) note that the prohibition on the free sale of these products to minors should be natural. Thus, the assessment of the widespread prevalence of the vaping trend and, in particular, its impact on young people’s health proves that these products have negative effects and should not be perceived as harmless.
Conclusion
Despite the prevailing stereotypes, substances in e-cigarettes, vapes, and JUUL blends pose severe health risks to young people. In addition to physical harm, psychological addiction arises, and the current trend towards this type of smoking is rather a marketing step than a real attempt to reduce negative impacts. The concerns of the official healthcare boards confirm the existing threats and explain the need to review the current policies for selling e-cigarettes to minimize the harmful health effects on adolescents as the target audience.
References
Cavallo, D. A., Kong, G., Ells, D. M., Camenga, D. R., Morean, M. E., & Krishnan-Sarin, S. (2019). Youth generated prevention messages about electronic cigarettes. Health Education Research, 34(2), 247-256.
Fadus, M. C., Smith, T. T., & Squeglia, L. M. (2019). The rise of e-cigarettes, pod mod devices, and JUUL among youth: Factors influencing use, health implications, and downstream effects. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 201, 85-93.
Pepper, J. K., Lee, Y. O., Watson, K. A., Kim, A. E., Nonnemaker, J. M., & Farrelly, M. C. (2017). Risk factors for youth e-cigarette “Vape Trick” behavior. Journal of Adolescent Health, 61(5), 599-605.
Sanchez, S., Kaufman, P., Pelletier, H., Baskerville, B., Feng, P., O’Connor, S., Schwartz, R., & Chaiton, M. (2020). Is vaping cessation like smoking cessation? A qualitative study exploring the responses of youth and young adults who vape e-cigarettes. Addictive Behaviors, 113, 106687.
Singh, S., Windle, S. B., Filion, K. B., Thombs, B. D., O’Loughlin, J. L., Grad, R., & Eisenberg, M. J. (2020). E-cigarettes and youth: Patterns of use, potential harms, and recommendations. Preventive Medicine, 133, 106009.