According to theCDC, “410,000 (3.5%) middle school students” vape regularly. The majority of young people asked inone study “did not perceive vaping as significantly harmful.” Vaping is on the rise for many reasons.

They are affordable, discreet, and, perhaps most importantly for young people, can be loaded with vape juice in various fruity flavors. So, what’s the truth about vape addiction? 

Is Vape Addiction Real?

Nicotine reacts strongly with the brain, heart, and beyond. This addictive chemical compound triggers the body to release dopamine, which leads users to desire it more and more.

The addiction cycle can begin quickly for people who use nicotine every day, even in small amounts. When you start to get hooked, the cravings begin, which will lead to more regular use, then your tolerance will build up, you’ll become dependent, and if you try and stop taking nicotine, you will most likely experience withdrawal symptoms.

While nicotine addiction can be bad for your physical health and lead to anxiety, mood swings, and more in your mental health, kicking nicotine is a lot easier than trying to kick an alcohol or harder drugs habit. 

How Vaping Works

Vaping is one of the most popular methods of consuming nicotine products. Vape juice or e-liquid contains nicotine that varies from 0 mg (no nicotine) to 20 mg (super high nicotine concentration).

While cigarettes contain 8–20 mg of nicotine, only about 10% is absorbed into the body. This number leaps to around 50% with vaping. One study into a leading vape brand found one “pod” containing e-liquid was equivalent to 13-30 cigarettes.

 However, vapes are still the healthier option thanks to the lack of toxic chemicals compared with regular cigarettes. In addition to nicotine, vape juice contains flavorings, a carrier like propylene glycol, and potentially other substances that make up the juice.  

Is Vaping Addictive?

Nicotine addiction through vaping is no joke. One study into the effects of vaping on a group of young people found “nearly all felt irritable, angry or uncomfortable if they had to delay vaping. Intense cravings disrupted school and work routines and dictated how they spent their time.

Many deeply regretted vaping, and some suffered shame and embarrassment. These participants saw vaping as a threat to the well-being of younger youth, which they tried to shield from addiction.”

Asanother study found, vape addiction may hit even harder than other forms of nicotine addiction because of the “higher levels of nicotine delivery and addiction liability of modern e-cigarettes that use protonated nicotine to make nicotine easier to inhale.”

The ability to vape indoors with less antisocial issues like smoke and a lingering smell, the fact that you can take one puff then put it away, and how compact modern vapes are all contribute to users puffing more and, in turn, increasing their level of nicotine addiction. 

The Risks and Long-Term Effects of Vaping Addiction

Nicotine addiction is not the only risk with vaping. While vapes emerged as a healthy alternative to smoking, recommended by many health practitioners around the world to combat addiction to tobacco, the health concerns surrounding vapes have increased over time as studies have also increased. The primary health issues associated with vaping are:

• Respiratory issues such as “popcorn lung” from diacetyl. While this chemical is banned from many vapes, the vaping industry requires better regulations. 

• Nicotine addictioncan damage brain development in young people. It is also addictive, which can lead to withdrawal symptoms in people giving up. 

• Cardiovascular issues like increased heart rate and blood pressure are associated with vaping. 

• Oral health can be significantly affected, including exacerbating gum disease and causing cavities.   

• Mental Health Issues can be just as problematic as physical health issues. Anxiety, depression, and mood swings are common in people addicted to vaping. People trying to quit will also suffer from irritability, cravings, and more. 

Vaping Addiction in Different Demographics

The number of young adults and teens vaping decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but studies suggest the numbers have now returned to even higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The common misconception among many young people that addiction to vaping can’t happen quickly is one of the main reasons why so many are addicted to vaping.

The role of peer pressure, targeted marketing, and social media influencers make vaping appealing to teens and young adults. 

In addition to young people, former cigarette smokers are drawn to vaping as a way of cutting down. However, many smokers who make the switch may end up vaping more than smoking due to the ease of use, affordability, and how discreet vaping is.

Onereview found that “most adults who use e-cigarettes also smoke cigarettes; epidemiologic studies suggest that the combination of e-cigarettes and cigarettes is more harmful than using either product alone.” 

Addressing Vape Addiction: Prevention and Treatment

Like stop-smoking ads, anti-vaping campaigns can be effective at lowering the number of people who start vaping. In a study entitled The Impact of Vaping Prevention Advertisements on US Adolescents, results found that “vaping prevention advertisements from the FDA Real Cost campaign led to lower adolescent susceptibility to vaping and had beneficial spillover effects on cigarette smoking outcomes. Tobacco prevention campaigns can help reduce youth tobacco use.” 

People who are concerned about the amount they are vaping may consider switching to treatments like nicotine patches, gum, or prescription medication to help quit nicotine entirely.

These treatments can help with addiction by delivering smaller amounts of nicotine into the bloodstream over more extended periods to lower the dopamine response and help users cut down or quit more easily. Another way of curbing addiction is to attend counseling or support groups like Quitline or Nicotine Anonymous. 

While the sale of nicotine products to anybody under 21 in the US is illegal, there are ways of getting around it. Additionally, the use of flavor bans, advertising to young people, and higher taxes try to combat the rise in young people taking up vaping. 

Conclusion

Vaping can lead to nicotine addiction, especially among young people who perceive it as harmless compared with regular smoking. Nicotine addiction can lead to a disruption of school and work routines and physical and mental health issues.

It is essential that more studies look at the rise of vape addiction among young people and that governing bodies continue to use different techniques to address the growing issue surrounding vape addiction.