A vape is an Electronic cigarette or an E-cigarette that lets a person inhale vapor instead of smoke, thus giving the device the name, vape. All kinds of E-cigarettes are a form of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems or ENDS. Vaping products have garnered immense popularity over time.
1. How Does Vaping Work?
E-cigarettes or vape consist of these three 3 main components.
1.1 An Atomizer
An indistinguishable part of e-cigarettes is an atomizer. What is an atomizer, you may wonder? It is the production house of vaping devices. Through an atomizer, one can add the flavour of their choice, eventually producing the vapour that one inhales.
1.2 A power Source
E-cigarettes or vape products have a battery. Vape batteries are of various types, automatic vape batteries, manual vape batteries, variable wattage batteries, and mods. While there are many types, the purpose remains the same. For an atomizer to work and produce the vapour, it needs a battery to produce the heat and electricity it needs.
1.3 A Vape Tank
A vape container cartridge or tank is that part of an E-Cigarette that holds the atomizer and the power source.
2. The Increased Popularity Of Vape
According to the National Institute of Health, the idea of E-cigarettes or vaping devices was originated in 1965, by Herbert A Gilbert to provide a substitute for regular cigarettes. It was not until 1986 that flavour cigarettes were invented.
The very first E-cigarette was invented by a Chinese Pharmacist.
Its popularity rose in the United States during the early 2000s. By 2015, a large number of young students started growing aware of E-cigarettes and their usage. Ever since the growth and popularity of vaping devices or e-cigarettes have merely increased.
While the popularity of vape has been increasing since it entered the US Marketplace, the new generation of TikTok and Instagram has popularized vaping more. Having broken Gala’s strict rule of not smoking, the popular singer Doja Cat received a massive backlash from the online community after she was seen vaping.
In another recent video, Jenna Ortega, the 20-year-old actress whose dance from the new Netflix Wednesday series went viral all over the internet, was pictured smoking cigarettes.
3. Pros of Vaping
Smoking is injurious to health. It is common knowledge that there can be no good effects to smoking cigarettes. But vaping, on the other hand, has pros and cons.
3.1 Less Harmful than Regular Cigarettes
The PHE (Public Health England), stated in 2015 that electronic cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than regular cigarettes. Despite half the population thinking that vapor products are more harmful than regular cigarettes, the truth remains that these new electronic cigarettes fall under the category of less harmful.
3.2 Chemicals
E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, nor do they produce tar or carbon monoxide. Electronic cigarettes contain nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and flavorings only.
3.3 No Passive Smoking
While the smoke of a regular cigarette affects everyone around the smoker who involuntarily ends up inhaling the toxic chemicals inside a cigarette, nothing of that sort happens in the case of an electronic cigarette
An electronic cigarette only affects the person who is smoking it and not the people around them, says the NHS.
3.4 Helps Stop Addiction
E-cigarettes help stop the addiction of smokers. An article published by the University of Oxford in 2022 states that smokers who used an e-cigarette, along with nicotine patches or gums as a part of their process of quitting smoking have attained far better and quicker results. This happens because e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and are comparatively less harmful than regular ones.
3.5 Control
An e-cigarette gives its user control over the amount of vapor he/she wants to intake. One can choose from a range of vape devices, from small devices like a pod to bigger devices like high-powered mods. A user can choose the vapor volume, the type of coil, and the amount of power.
4. Cons of Vaping
4.1 Less Harmful, But Harmful Whatsoever
E-cigarettes may not contain substances like tobacco or benzene, but they contain the addictive substance, that is, nicotine. Nicotine affects a human in many different ways. It causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as narrowing of arteries.
4.2 Attracts Teenagers:
Vape products come in various shapes and forms, one of which attracts the younger generation the most is the one that comes in a USB form(JUUL). A student can carry their vape to school, and charge it on their laptop as a USB Drive and the teacher will not have a clue as to the real identity of that device. The vast range of flavors that a vape provides and its colorful look tempt many teenagers to vape.
According to a study conducted by the FDA, 2.14 million high school students and 3.3% of middle school students have reported having used E-cigarettes mostly, flavored ones.
4.3 The Reverse Effect
While many smokers who are trying to quit smoking start using vaping devices, a reverse effect might as well happen. Non-smokers, especially young people or teenagers who are non-smokers, might start smoking after “trying ” a vape.
4.4 Larger Variety
There is a large variety of vaping devices available in the e-cigarette market. With an increasing number of flavour choices, and device sizes, the younger generation might feel inclined to try everything all at once, which eventually might lead to an addiction.
4.5 Laws
The percentage of young people vaping has increased substantially and has been rising ever since. Standing in 2023, vaping is looked upon as an epidemic among youth, which imposes a threat on the lives of young people. Many states are imposing strict laws enforcing a ban on vaping products and even some flavors.
5. How Old Do You Have To Be To Vape
Every child is curious, which only increases as they grow older. With the increasing popularity of vape, it is obvious that teenagers will want to try it.
Parents and adults need to know about legal vaping age limits, laws, and regulations, which countries have banned vaping, and which countries allow their citizens to purchase vaping products. Here is a list of the legal age of vaping in different places worldwide.
5.1 United States
The United States is the most significant vaping market in the world. According to the FDA, selling tobacco products (which includes e-cigarettes, cigars, and cigarettes)to anyone younger than 21 years old is illegal. This legislation became known as “Tobacco 21” to “T21”. It is thus unlawful for people under 21 years old to buy vape products and vaping devices.
5.2 United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, however, the legal vaping age is at least 18 years old. The law enforcing this rule has been effective from October 1, 2015. A recent study estimated that the cigarette market is expected to grow substantially from 2022 to 2027. Teen vaping especially among High School students in various European countries has increased by the day, resulting in a large number of concerned parents due to an increase in the number of lung diseases.
5.3 South Korea
In South Korea, the minimum age to buy nicotine products is 19 years. A seller cannot sell tobacco products, vaping products, vape juices, vapor products, and vape pens to anyone under the legal vaping age.
5.4 China
The country that invented vaping devices also has a minimum age limit. The minimum vaping age is 18 years old in China, which is the legal age in many countries.
5.5 Australia
The Australian Government bans the use of all vaping devices except for the ones prescribed by a certified doctor. The ban is implemented on vaping components, zero-nicotine products, non-nicotine vapes, e-liquids, and vaping devices.
6. Tobacco Control Groups
The substitute for conventional cigarettes and vaping devices has taken over the world, almost like an epidemic. Often, age restrictions over the selling of e-cigarettes are not enough. Tobacco and Nicotine products and vaping products are addictive, and addictions are just habits held on long enough.
This is why there are certain groups in most countries, such as tobacco control groups and anti-smoking groups, which help people quit smoking, whether they are smoking vape products or conventional cigarettes.
As the name is pretty self-explanatory, this group takes control and aims to reduce mortality rate, lung diseases, and other life-threatening diseases whose cause stems from the use of tobacco consumption.
7. Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation
The Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation is the foundation’s name that helped start the Tobacco 21 campaign. The federal law of Tobacco 21 or T21, was an essential legislation which set the legal age to vape as 21 years. This higher age limit was introduced as a direct response to the increasing popularity of JUUL vape pens. This foundation aims to discard the use of tobacco products and nicotine products entirely from the marketplace. Age restrictions had been essential to reduce teen vaping, which concerned parents immensely as their children were inhaling tobacco products.
8. To Conclude
While smoking anything is harmful to health, it is needless to say that for some people, it becomes a necessity. People from different age groups, old and young alike, struggle with their mental health more or less. It is these struggles that often lead to drug and nicotine addiction.
While for some people, vaping becomes the path they take to lead themselves away from the clutches of smoking or nicotine addiction, for others, vaping itself becomes the path that leads them to become smokers in the future.
9. FAQs
1. What is the age limit for teens? Can I buy a vape if I am not 18 years old?
Yes, and also no. If you have an older friend or a sibling, you may try out vaping products from them. Otherwise, federal and state laws in most countries have increased the minimum vaping age limit to at least 18.
2. If I vape, will people around me be affected?
A pro of vaping products and devices is that they cannot be passively smoked. This is why the person standing next to you will probably not be affected as much. However, vaping does release a certain amount of aerosol in the air around you, hence it is often advised not to smoke indoors.
3. How can I tell if my kids are vaping products?
It is undeniably true that it is difficult to find out whether a kid or a student in the class is vaping products or not. With the coming forth of JUUL pods, which are small vaping devices that look exactly like a USB Drive, it has become increasingly difficult to spot whether a child is recharging a pen drive or a vaping device.
4. How many flavours are there in vapes?
A vape can be inhaled in many different flavours, such as menthol flavours, citrus, guava, apricot, blueberry, candy, chocolate, coconut, cranberry, and many more.
5. Do all vapes have nicotine?
No, not all vaping products have nicotine in them. A vape can have non-nicotine juice or nicotine juice. A non-nicotine juice has only flavoured juice and is thus not addictive.
Last Updated on by Pragya Chakrapani
