COMMENT: Deal with vaping among youths before it’s too late

HEALTH experts say vaping youths are more likely to start smoking cigarettes. This is a serious concern, taking into account that many youths and pupils, especially from private schools in the country are into vaping. A couple of years back, a private school in Bulawayo had to conduct raids in a bid to catch the culprits.

“Vaping meets the classification of a ‘gateway drug’, with studies indicating that youths who vape are 3,5 times more likely to start smoking cigarettes within two years,” says South Africa Sanlam’s, Dr Yusrah Parker.

“Nicotine, highly addictive, is particularly harmful to the developing adolescent brain, making them susceptible to habit-forming behaviours. Furthermore, vaping is often associated with the use of other substances, such as alcohol and opiates.”

Parker says the societal costs of vaping are substantial, affecting healthcare expenditure, productivity and mortality rates. Furthermore, new research suggests that vaping is linked to chronic lung disease, asthma, cardiovascular disease, seizures, strokes and cancer.

Mental health disorders are also common in vapers, especially the younger generation with developing brains. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, irrational behaviour and traits of impulsivity are common. 

The effects of vaping on health are just as bad or similar to those of smoking. Experts say cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general.  Therefore, quitting smoking and vaping lowers the risk of smoking-related diseases and can add years to one’s life.

It has been established that worldwide, smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined:  Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries and firearm-related incidents.

This is because smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease). Smoking can also cause lung disease by damaging airways and the small air sacs (alveoli) found in the lungs. In short, smoking and vaping harm nearly every organ of the body and affect a person’s overall health.