Risk Factors
- Crystal cleanlungs4theyouth@gmail.com
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
by Oscar Zhu
Vaping has become a popular trend among young adults and children. However, studies show that people exposed to nicotine and vapes at a young age are more impressionable and more vulnerable to the risks of addiction. Around 40% of students who tried a nicotine product at least once have reported continuing to vape today. And of the underage people who continue smoking, around half eventually die due to smoking-related diseases. Current patterns predict that approximately 5.6 million people under the age of 18 will eventually die due to smoking.
The most prevalent reason for people picking up tobacco products can be linked to environmental factors that may influence them. Having a lower socioeconomic status is one of the leading factors. Additional contributing factors may include being in an environment where tobacco usage becomes normalized, being exposed to mass media promoting and advertising tobacco usage, having low self-esteem or academic success, or having high accessibility to tobacco products. However, being in a religious group, having a strong racial identity or higher academic achievements generally lowers smoking likelihood.
Vapes are the most commonly used product for tobacco users, even being considered as the 'hub product'. Flavored vapes in particular have become exceedingly popular due to their vibrant colors and supposedly improved taste. Since they can easily be disguised as common items such as USB drives or highlighters, the majority of parents are unaware that their children even vape. Since vapes are generally attractive to people of a relatively young age, their addiction can become more severe and difficult to break out of.
Another tobacco product that has been rising in popularity lately is nicotine pouches. Initially, their applications were approved by the FDA due to the fact that they don't possess tobacco. However, studies have linked these products to various health issues as well. Although they don't contain tobacco, the nicotine in itself is extremely addictive and can disrupt brain development and damage the cardiovascular system. While it may be less harmful than some alternatives, it is still a harmful product that is detrimental to people who start using it.
The usage of multiple tobacco products is becoming increasingly prevalent. Vapes and nicotine pouches are the most common pair of products that are used in conjunction to maximize their effects. Tobacco users report that using both of them helps stimulate a stronger dopamine effect than individually using vapes or nicotine pouches. However, dual usage makes the addiction much stronger and accelerates the impact that the substances have on the users health.
Sources
Comments