Smoking vs Vaping, is there a difference?
Q: Is vaping bad for you?
A: The short answer is yes. Lung injury is becoming more and more common in users of vaping products.
In theory, these products were created to be a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, but vaping still has harmful effects.
Users are still inhaling substances other than oxygen into their lungs.
Q: Is smoking or vaping more harmful for kids (and those that have never smoked)?
A: Overall in the long run, the evidence shows that there’s not much difference for individuals that have never smoked. Studies have shown that when adolescents start with vaping, there is a strong likelihood that they will have future cigarette or tobacco use. Commonly, smoking is thought to be more harmful because the product is being burnt and smoke inhaled into the lungs. But we’re finding similar damage and decreased ability to fight infections from heating up vaping solutions and inhaling that vapor into the lungs.
So when it comes to adolescent use (and never smokers), there isn’t much difference in harmfulness, given the concern for addiction and likely future risk for traditional tobacco use.
Q: Smoking versus vaping, what are the differences?
A: Overall, there’s not much difference between smoking and vaping.
Commonly, smoking was thought to be more harmful because the product is being burnt and smoke inhaled into the lungs.
But we’re finding very similar damage from heating up vaping solutions and inhaling that vapor into the lungs.
Q: Can you vape without nicotine or THC?
A: Products that are labeled zero nicotine can have some degree of nicotine in them.
There are no FDA regulations at this time specifically outlining the contents of what's in e-juice or liquid nicotine.
Q: How do you quit vaping?
A: Youth brains are very susceptible to nicotine. That makes nicotine highly addictive for them, unlike their older counterparts.
Many vape products have higher amounts of nicotine which can make it even harder for youth to quit.
Teenagers need a lot of care to quit using these products.
There are resources in the state that provide access to nicotine satiation specialists.
Meeting with a doctor that is skilled or comfortable in helping youth stop smoking through nicotine replacement items such as patches or potentially medications could be a good place to start.