Why You Should Quit Vaping
No one who vapes thinks it's good for them. Whether you do it at parties, you do it when you’re bored, or if you’re addicted, these are some of the reasons you should consider quitting.
Mental Harm
The Truth Initiative links vaping to higher odds of being diagnosed with depression (2.4 times more likely than those who don’t vape). This drug dependence is also associated with higher levels of anxiety and stress. The financial cost of vaping can also add avoidable stress. Not only is it an expensive habit due having to repurchase pods or devices often, but the health costs are also greater. Smokers and those who vape spend $2,024 more on average than those who don’t smoke or vape (Fernandez, 2022). This financial burden may leave some to not seek treatment early on which only leads to worse (and often more expensive) health outcomes.
Physical Harm
Brain development, which occurs until the age of 25, is harmed by nicotine (U.S. Surgeon General) . For this same reason, it’s easier for individuals under the age of 25 to become addicted. Additionally, one’s lung health is obviously compromised. According to John Hopkins Medicine, smoking and vaping can cause blisters in the lungs bursting which then causes one’s lungs to collapse. This is only one of the many respiratory complications one can experience when vaping.
If you experience:
- Shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing
- Chronic coughing
- Coughing up blood or mucus that has traces of blood
- Sharp chest/ shoulder pain
- Wheezing
Please seek medical attention.
Ultimately, the health and behavioral risks associated with e-cigs and vaping are preventable.
Ways to stop vaping:
- Try switching to nicotine-free, flavorless pods
- Download “This is Quitting”, an app created by the Truth Initiative
- Set a “1by2day” and “20by20” on Promly to keep track of your progress and celebrate milestones!
Sources:
Broderick, Stephen R. What Does Vaping Do to Your Lungs?. John Hopkins Medicine.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/what-does-vaping-do-to-your-lungs
Fernandez, Elizabeth. (2022). E-Cigarette Use Costs U.S. $15B Per Year, Reports UCSF in
First Study of Its Kind. UCSF. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2022/05/422891/e-cigarette-use-costs-us-15b-year-reports-ucsf-first-study-its-kind
The Truth Initiative. (2021). Colliding Crises: Youth Mental Health and Nicotine Use. The Truth
U.S. Surgeon General. THE FACTS on e-cigarette use among youth and young adults. Know
the Risk. https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/
