No vaping

The rising popularity of vaping has been dramatic, especially among teenagers. E-cigarettes use a battery-powered device that heats a liquid to form vapours or, more accurately, aerosol, that the user can inhale (thus ‘vaping’). Nearly 200 e-cigarette users have developed severe lung disease in 22 states. Most cases were among teens and young adults. Experts aren’t sure if vaping actually caused these lung problems, but believe the most likely culprit is a contaminant, not an infectious agent. Possibilities include chemical irritation, or allergic or immune reactions to various chemicals or other substances in the inhaled vapours. Typically, symptoms have started gradually, with shortness of breath and/or chest pain before more severe breathing difficulty led to hospital admission.

Nicotine is highly addictive and can affect the developing brain, potentially harming teens and young adults. Even some ‘nicotine-free’ e-cigarettes have been found to contain nicotine. Some substances found in e-cigarette vapour have been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Teens who vape are more likely to begin smoking cigarettes. Accidental exposure to liquid from e-cigarettes has caused acute nicotine poisoning in children and adults. Our lungs were meant to inhale clean air and nothing else. It took many years to recognize the damage cigarettes can cause. We could be on a similar path with vaping.

Qazi Jamshed Alam Siddiqui

Lahore