Why is vaping a trend amongst teens?

By: Boris_Dzhingarov

The main objective at the start of the electric smoking industry was to get standard cigarette smokers to make the switch to an e-cigarette and combat their nicotine addictions. Though there are still millions of people who still use cigarettes, many people did decide to make the switch. Par of the electric smoking industry’s success is owed to a group of people that the industry had not taken into consideration, teenagers. As the e-smoking business grew, teenagers all over the world started using it, but is that a good thing?

What is vaping?
Vaping is the act of inhaling vaporized liquid through e-cigarettes. These liquids contain various chemicals including nicotine and various flavors. Certain vaping devices are meant to mimic the use of cigarettes for the people who are attempting to quit smoking, this act is a healthier alternative. The vaping liquid in e-cigarettes is less harmful than tobacco smoke as they do not release chemicals that cause cancer.

What attracts teens to vaping?
Unfortunately, some aspects that the e-smoking industry took to attract traditional smokers also attracted teenagers, whether this is done intentionally or not is up for debate.

Firstly, the vast variety of flavors and scents that the e-cigarette’s liquid (better known as e-liquid) has is unparalleled. These flavors are incredibly strong and are made to be delicious. Certain flavors include strawberry, banana, bubblegum, cake, vanilla, and much more. With enticing flavors such as that and more, it’s hard not to want to give it a try. These flavors can even imitate one’s favorite dessert.

Another detail to take into account is peer pressure. Nowadays peer pressure isn’t as straightforward as it used to be, simply being in a friend group that vapes is enough for a non-smoker to be willing to try it. Teens who vape have the mentality that because they aren’t smoking cigarettes they won’t be harmed, this excuse is used many times to tempt other kids on joining them.

One of the most popular e-cigarettes amongst teenagers is Juul. The use of Juul has exploded in recent years in high schools as seen on social media. Adults have expressed their concerns about this, especially considering that after the rise in popularity of Juul people have been noticing their ads that seem to target a younger audience. With the use of young adults in their ad campaigns and bright colors, it’s no shock when teens become more attracted to the product. Some of these ads also feature social media influencers, a tactic many companies use specifically to attract youth.

Addiction concerns
The main concern of teenagers beginning to use e-cigarettes is the fact that the majority of them weren’t cigarette smokers to begin with. There was no indication that the generation of kids who were introduced to e-cigarettes would have started to smoke cigarettes regularly. However, now with the popularity of e-smoking, these same kids are developing nicotine addictions, which wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

The nicotine content varies on the type of e-liquids, this is an important factor for people trying to break nicotine addictions. They can start with the amount of nicotine they are comfortable with and then gradually use less of it with time. However, this means that most e-cigarettes have high nicotine content in order to accommodate people who used to smoke frequently. For teens who have never smoked a traditional cigarette to vape with high doses of nicotine, the chances of addiction become bigger. There are e-liquids that have no nicotine in them, but the Juul e-cigarettes that are popular in the youth do not have nicotine-free options. And unfortunately, many teens don’t bother searching for nicotine-free vape options as they believe that regardless of what’s in the fluid, vaping is better than smoking anyways.

By Boris Dzhingarov

© 2022 Copyright Boris Dzhingarov - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.