Do your children think vaping is a safe alternative?

While adults are aware that cigarette smoking is dangerous and unhealthy, it’s still a serious and difficult addiction for many people. And while most smokers may want to quit, most of them certainly don’t want their children to ever start smoking.

Unfortunately, many children have turned to vaping, an electronic substitute for cigarettes, because they and often their parents, are under impression that it’s a safer choice. It’s not. The nicotine in electronic cigarettes is highly addictive and the other chemicals involved can harm health.

Vaping manufacturers were quick to realize the appeal this new form of smoking could have for young people. They produced various fruit flavors to make the product more enjoyable for young people. Although the Food and Drug Administration has said it may regulate vaping, for now children are still vaping in growing numbers.

The health issues associated with vaping are many. It’s not a product regulated by the FDA. It means that when a package shows the amount of nicotine in the product, it may not always be accurate. Some vaping cartridges labeled “no nicotine” were still found to have nicotine present when tested.

The chemicals used in these products are also dangerous. Most vaping cartridges use propylene glycol to create the clouds of “vapor” that these products produce. It’s a chemical used in many household products, such as hand sanitizer, antifreeze and deodorants – nothing that should go in the mouth. It’s also used as an aircraft de-icer.

Most vaping cartridges contain over 720 milligrams of nicotine, although it’s released in small doses when “smoked.” Nicotine is highly addictive and can be fatally poisonous in amounts as small as 40 to 50 milligrams. These cartridges are a real, possibly fatal danger if a small child or a pet should eat one.

Vaping is still a new enough activity that there are no studies on what the long-term health effects might be. What has been shown already is that there’s no evidence that it helps an individual stop smoking, and studies have found that vaping for as little as 10 minutes can worsen lung function.

If children think vaping is a safe alternative, have a serious talk with them. The unknown health risks they may be facing aren’t worth “looking cool” with this new addiction. Discouraging this practice now can mean healthier children in the future.

Counseling Corner is provided by the American Counseling Association. Send comments and questions to [email protected] or visit http://www.counseling.org.