Vaping not safer than smoking; has severe health implications: Experts

Lungs of teenagers need protection not pollution from vapes medical experts have stressed while highlighting the dangers of vaping and the emergence of newage gateway devicesA group of doctors supporting the movement of Mothers Against Vaping a collective dedicated to raising awareness about the ill effects of vaping and working to eradicate it said vaping has health implications including issues like coughing dry throat shortness of breath or headachesMore alarmingly it can affect the heart raising blood pressure increasing heart rate and even leading to a heart attack they saidDr K K Handa chairman ENT head and neck surgery Medanta Hospital said the common myth that vaping is safer than smoking is totally incorrectVaping can damage lungs after prolonged use since vapes contain nicotine which has a serious addictive potential Over time vape addiction can cause severe and serious mental issues like depression and anxiety There is also a physical safety concern as the devices used for vaping can sometimes catch fire So vaping is not safe at all Dr Handa saidAccording to Mothers Against Vaping multiple reputed studies have clearly indicated the health risks of vaping and ecigarettesA recent study in April 2025 by Johns Hopkins Medicine analysed medical data gathered from almost 250000 people over a fouryear period The findings significantly linked the exclusive use of ecigarettes to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD and high blood pressureThe World Health Organisation WHO has called for urgent action to protect children and prevent the uptake of ecigarettesThese products are openly available and are aggressively marketed to young people Children are being targeted and trapped into early nicotine addiction through the use of ecigarettesDr Harish Bhatia Director and Head of Respiratory Medicine MGS Super Speciality Hospital Punjabi Bagh said vapes ecigarettes Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ENDS HeatNotBurn HNB devices and other Heated Tobacco Products HTPs directly damage the lungsLungs of teens need protection not pollution from vapes And any teen that is vaping needs immediate course correction Only with good lungs will there be the beginning of Viksit Bharat Dr Bhatia saidMothers Against Vaping has been consistently highlighting how teenagers and even children are falling prey to vapes posing a real danger of losing the next generation to these newage gateway devicesDr Rajesh Gupta Director of Pulmonology at Fortis Hospital said adolescents often start vaping socially at parties or under peer pressure believing it is harmless or even better than smokingBut this is a myth and even occasional vaping exposes the lungs to harmful chemicals which irritate and inflame their delicate tissues often leading to serious problemsIn children whose lungs are still developing this damage can be very longlasting And this damage does not stop at the lungs Nicotine in the ecigarettes is highly addictive and affects the brain altering attention memory learning and emotional regulation Dr Gupta saidSocial vaping can quickly spiral into regular addictive use resulting in lifelong health consequences As adults parents and educators we must speak openly with children about the risks and act early We should not assume that its just a phase because every casual use is a potential gateway to longterm harm Dr Rajesh addedOn the various ways and means of tackling vaping Dr Bhavna Barmi clinical psychologist and founder Happiness Studio said First of all it is very important to build emotional literacy because vaping is not just peer pressure its also an emotional escapeWhen we teach our kids to name their feelings through journaling mood charts and open reflections they will not need to numb them There is also a need for guidance and awareness among parents as most of them miss warning signs or respond with shame We should provide workshops and conversation guides that encourage calm curious dialogue Punishment shuts kids down understanding opens them up Dr Barmi stressedWe also need to unpack the role of social media Vaping looks glamorous online but we should teach who profits and what the hidden agenda is Teaching media literacy helps kids build critical thinking their best defence Replace dont just remove should be our key Lets give our children healthy alternatives connection creativity and a sense of identity beyond grades or popularityWhen our children are going to feel valued they will stop escaping Also addiction recovery is not about control it is about care building safe slow and nonjudgmental therapy spaces Dr Barmi addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever