Electronic cigarettes: Toxic truth
Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, include “vapes,” hookah pens or JUULs.
E-cigarettes contain:
- Nicotine.
- Propylene glycol, which is used to make things like antifreeze, paint solvent and artificial smoke in fog machines.
- Chemical flavorings.
- Carcinogens, which are cancer-causing chemicals.
- Heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead.
How can e-cigarettes affect the developing brain?
- A single JUUL pod contains 20 cigarettes’ worth of nicotine.
- Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm brain development up until mid-20s
- Nicotine can train your brain to be more easily addicted to other harmful drugs like meth and cocaine.
- Using nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control.
Why are e-cigarettes dangerous for children?
- Children can be poisoned by swallowing, breathing or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes.
- Compared with adults, children have thinner skin, smaller organs and less mass, and they cannot remove poison in the same way as adults.
- Children may view e-cigs as candy because of the various appealing flavors, such as cotton candy, strawberry and mint.
- Nationally, about 50% of calls to poison control centers for e-cigarettes are for kids 5 years of age or younger.
Poison prevention
- Treat e-cigarettes the same way you treat poisonous chemicals, such as antifreeze and medications.
- Keep e-cigarettes and JUUL pods out of reach from your children at all times.
- Teach your children that e-cigarettes are not safe, nor are they candy.
Sources:
Quick Facts on the Risks of E-Cigarettes for Kids, Teens and Young Adults