While research about the health risks of vaping continues to emerge from the academic and medical industries, vaping is still a popular activity for many people who are under the impression that it’s safe. Research has shown, however, that there are some serious issues associated with vaping, especially as it relates to possible seizures or lung problems.

Those most likely to suffer from the health risks of vaping are teenagers because their brains are still developing. No long-term studies have yet documented the depth of this potential impact, but, according to NPR, scientists are noting their concern about the effect of vaping on teenagers.

Possible Health Impacts for Teens Who Vape

Teens who vape may develop problems with impulse control, substance abuse, and attention disorders such as ADHD, according to the report.

Some research on young animals has found that nicotine can have far-reaching impacts, including interference with processes around brain development, impulse behaviors, focus, learning, and memory.

According to experts, the key issue with vaping is that nicotine mimics an important chemical messenger inside the human brain known as acetylcholine. The way this works is that acetylcholine can trick brain cells with a nicotine receptor.

Where this becomes a problem is that parts of the teenage brain controlled by nicotine receptors are actively maturing for teenagers, posing a risk for health problems down the road. There are also concerns surrounding the impact that nicotine can have on the dopamine system.

There is the potential for long-term brain changes for those teenagers who vape regularly. This can be especially dangerous if the nicotine exposure happens early on for a young adult, who might experience compounded impacts down the road.

Scientists also believe that, because flavored products are so new to the scene, it’s not yet known whether or not the flavored liquids carry additional risk to young e-cigarette users. The current presidential administration has suggested banning flavored e-cigs. Early research has indicated that for those who use an e-cig product with liquid flavoring the first time, it’s highly likely they’ll return to that product again in the future.

E-cigarettes can irritate the lungs of users, cause severe lung damage, and even encourage a user to pursue the smoking of traditional cigarettes. Although there are many different makers of e-cigarette products, the makers of JUUL pods have been singled out because of the high levels of nicotine in those devices and accusations that the product is marketed to teenagers.

In fact, some research shows that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used nicotine product for young adults, with data showing that many users have tried e-cigs at least once. This has raised concerns about marketing tactics that target younger children in addition to possible illegal sales. Buying the devices online has been quite easy for some younger consumers, since many of the websites simply ask a yes or no question about whether or not the site viewer is old enough to buy the item.

If you or someone you know has already been harmed by an e-cigarette, you could have grounds for legal action because of the health risks of vaping.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.