Young people who vape don’t know what’s in the products they inhale. Most often, they are not even aware of the brand they are using, according to an American study.
- Young people mostly don’t know what’s in the products they inhale with e-cigarettes
- The authors of the study want more restrictive regulations for the electronic cigarette
What’s in my vape? According to an American study, conducted by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, young users have no idea, which raises public health questions. The results were published in the Journal of Adolescent Health and the data was collected in early 2019 as part of the Tobacco Perceptions Study, a longitudinal study of tobacco and nicotine use, perceptions, and marketing awareness among young Californians.
Young people who vape without knowing
For the study, researchers surveyed 445 participants, aged 17 to 24, about their use of pod-based electronic cigarettes, a vaping device that consists of a small plastic pod of nicotine-infused liquid that snaps into a vaporizer powered by a rechargeable battery. Participants completed a questionnaire containing detailed questions about their history of smoking nicotine, pod e-cigarettes, and other types of e-cigarettes. In addition to usage patterns, participants were asked why they use pod-based e-cigarettes and their perceptions of the nicotine content of these products.
The results showed that young e-cigarette users do not know what they are vaping. About half of pod e-cigarette users said they share them with friends, and almost half don’t know if they always use cartridges sold under the same brand as their devices. According to 58% of users, the reason for choosing pod e-cigarettes is that it is easy to hide. The second most common reason, chosen by 55.6% of pod users, is that the smell they produce is less noticeable than other types of e-cigarettes.
Regulate e-cigarettes
These results alerted the researchers. “Teenagers do not use these pod products more than other e-cigarettes due to health or flavors offered”, analyzed Halpern-Felsher, senior writer of the study and professor of pediatrics. “They tell us: ‘It’s because we can hide them, and the smell produced is less obvious.’ This ability to ‘use stealth’ is concerning.”
The main problem for researchers is the lack of knowledge about the amount of nicotine absorbed. “These young people have no idea how much nicotine they consume”, observed Bonnie Halpern-Felsher. Additionally, more than half of the participants do not know how long it takes them to complete a capsule or cartridge. This demonstrates that young people share and use these products without regard to the dosage, the amount of nicotine or the potential risk of addiction. “Pod-based e-cigarette packaging is so confusing and misleading. Packaging should be regulatedsays the researcher. I really hope these results will be used to further regulate e-cigarettes”she concludes.
.