A recent study shows that vapes contain many times more nicotine than cigarettes.
More than 1.6 million middle and high school students in the United States reported vaping in 2023, and about 90 percent used flavored vaporizers, but it’s not just the flavor that’s making them addicted.
Pamela Ling, a professor of medicine at the University of California, says that vaping has become more addictive and difficult to control.
She said that about a decade ago, the average vaper had the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, or 20 cigarettes. And today, popular vapes have become as common as three cartons of cigarettes, or 600 cigarettes.
To make it possible to inhale such high doses of nicotine, vape company Juul Labs began adding nicotinic acid, known as nicotine salts, in 2015. These salts reduce adverse reactions such as throat irritation and coughing.
Today, the most popular disposable vaping manufacturers use this same technology.
He also said that vaping rates are higher among young people than older adults, but we are more concerned about the effects of vaping in adolescents or children because we know that vapes deliver more nicotine efficiently. The sooner you are exposed to nicotine, the more likely you are to become addicted.
