Health risks of nicotine subject of teen vape talk

THE DALLES — Parents may learn their kid is vaping and think, “At least they’re not smoking.” But the nicotine itself is a serious health risk, according to an addiction expert at a recent presentation about teen vaping.

Nicotine increases blood pressure, breathing and heart rate. It harms the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory and reproductive systems, said Linda Richter, Ph.D., with the Partnership to End Addiction.

Nicotine also structurally and functionally changes the developing brain, affecting attention, learning, mood, and impulse control, she said at the talk, which was presented by Wasco County’s drug and alcohol prevention program, YouthThink.

Vaping can even be a gateway to smoking. Youth who vape are four times more likely to smoke than a teen who has never vaped, she said.

And while vapes are not cigarettes, they do contain formaldehyde and the same ingredients found in gasoline, paint thinner and nail polish remover.

The nicotine itself “is so concerning,” Richter said. The amount of it in vapes “is just incredible.”

She described a “nicotine arms race” in which nicotine levels in vapes keep rising. Juuls, the first popular vapes from just 7-8 years ago, had the same amount of nicotine as about two packs of cigarettes, she said. Today’s popular brands have the equivalent of almost 30 packs of cigarettes.

Vaping is frequently shown in TVs and movies, but it doesn’t show the harmful side of using nicotine, she said.

Vapes, or e-cigarettes, have gone from cigarette look-alikes meant to help adults quit smoking to a wide variety of products squarely aimed at youth. That the market is clearly youth-oriented is driven home by the fact that more youth vape than adults.

Vapes use nicotine salts, which are much easier to inhale, much less abrasive and harsh. This promotes more use, Richter said. Plus, a wide variety of flavors draw youth. Some vapes even have video games on them.

Vaping peaked in 2017-19, but a parent backlash at that time led to a government ban on the popular Juul vapes.

But the industry simply switched to disposable vapes. Most disposables are illegal, but they have not been removed from shelves, Richter said. Government simply can’t keep up with the market.

Oral nicotine pouches, with popular brands including Zyn and ON!, are also becoming increasingly popular. They are small microfiber pouches with nicotine, flavorings and sweeteners that are placed between the lip and gums.

The nicotine used in them is synthetic and does not come from a tobacco plant, so regulations do not fully cover them, Richter said. People are working to close this loophole, however.

In 2024, 6% of 12th graders used oral nicotine pouches, which is “quite high” percentage, Richter said.

Advertisers can claim they are tobacco-free, but they are very high in nicotine content and very discreet, she said.