Vaping: Is it really that harmful? What are the side effects and dangers to young people?

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Vaping in Scotland is on the rise.Worryingly, there’s been an increase in the number of children and teenagers vaping, and this is causing concern.

To tackle this problem, the Scottish Government is launching a vaping information campaign to help stamp out the growing habit among children and young people.The campaign targets parents and carers of children aged between 10 and 17 and encourages them to talk to their children about the serious health risks of vaping, getting them to rethink picking up a vape and beginning a habit that could have harmful consequences.“Talking about vaping with your child or teenager can feel a bit overwhelming," says Allie Cherry-Byrnes, CEO of Fast Forward."However the young people we work with tell us that they’d like to be open and talk to their parents or caregivers about a range of risk-taking behaviours, including vaping, and that just because they want to talk about something, doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re doing it - they’re just keen to be informed and know the facts. “We would encourage parents or caregivers to help young people understand the risks of vaping by sharing information with them calmly." "Young people don’t expect them to have all the answers, but their parents or caregivers need to make valid points and deliver the facts, so they can inform young people of the consequences of taking part in vaping or other risk-taking behaviours.”More often than not, vapes contain nicotine which can quickly become harmfully addictive for young people.

Nicotine withdrawal can have an impact on a young person’s mental health making them tired, stressed and anxious.What’s more, nicotine addiction can affect young people’s concentration and impact their ability to learn and study.