The CDC says the investigation into the 215 possible cases of severe pulmonary disease linked to e-cigarettes has not yet identified a substance or specific product as the cause.
And there’s also no evidence that an infectious disease is to blame either. But when you vape, you’re basically inhaling an aerosol made from a liquid that was heated up. And e-cigarettes contain harmful ingredients like diacetyl, a flavoring chemical that is linked to serious lung disease.
Nicotine can harm the brain development of young people. When we create new memories or learn new skills, synapses get built between brain cells.
Now synapses are basically a junction or structure between nerve cells that allow information to flow. And they're super important especially for memory.
Now kids create these synapses really quickly. But nicotine can change how they are formed. So not only learning, but mood and impulse control can also be affected. And what many people don’t know, especially teens, is that a child’s brain continues to develop until their about 25-years-old.
The CDC says there are over 7,000 chemicals in regular cigarettes, with 96 flagged as harmful or potentially harmful. So yes, e-cigarettes do have fewer chemicals than traditional cigarettes, but they also contain ultrafine particles, cancer-causing chemicals and heavy metals like lead, tin and nickel. And the long-term health of these is still unknown which is very concerning.
Now many of you already know how highly addictive nicotine is. Studies have found that adolescents who vape are at an increased risk of smoking regular cigarettes down the road. As for e-cigarettes helping people to quit traditional cigarettes, vape devices have not been proven to do this.
I think banning kid-friendly flavored e-cigarettes is a great move, it’ll certainly attract less attention from our young people. And in my opinion, avoiding these devices will lead to a much healthier life overall in the long run.
