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According to a study in western Switzerland, more and more people under the age of 18 are smoking e-cigarettes. In the past, these were advertised as a way out of smoking cigarettes. A transition from bad to worse?
They are colorful, available in all colors and flavors and are said to be healthier than cigarettes: so-called vapes. No cigarettes are smoked, but chemical liquid is vaporized and inhaled.
Once touted as a way out for smokers, today it’s mostly youngsters who vape. E-cigarettes are currently still subject to the Food Act. Therefore, there is no minimum age at the federal level. The sweet taste also makes it easier to start smoking.
Every eighth person between the ages of 14 and 25 vapes regularly
This trend is worrying for addiction expert Sabin Bührer. A new study from western Switzerland shows that more than half of 14 to 25 year olds have already tried vapes. One in eight vapes regularly. “The danger is, on the one hand, that synthetic nicotine and nicotine salts are extremely addictive and that vaping is the gateway to other tobacco products.”
This is also confirmed by Reto Auer. He is a professor at the University of Bern and family doctor and is researching the potential and risks of such e-cigarettes in a study lasting several years. “If a person has never smoked, they can very quickly become addicted to nicotine with e-vapes. The vapes are much less irritating to the throat than traditional cigarettes. And that’s why it could be that young people who never would have smoked or have smoked end up in nicotine addiction.” Nevertheless, it can be a help for smoking adolescents and adults to stop smoking.
Nicotine itself is not a major health problem. It’s not carcinogenic.
Like cigarettes, e-cigarettes contain nicotine. But what is missing is the tar. And this makes cigarettes a particular health problem: “With cigarettes, you die from the tar and not from the nicotine. Nicotine itself is not a major health problem. It’s not carcinogenic,” says Auer. On the other hand, every second person dies in the long term from the effects of tobacco.
Results on long-term consequences are lacking
However, e-cigarettes still contain carcinogenic substances. So vapes are not risk-free, but much less risky than traditional cigarettes. And yet: there are no results on long-term consequences. It is known that vapes are less dangerous, but how much less dangerous is not yet known.
This is probably one of the reasons why politicians are now beginning to act: from next year, young people should be better protected. Selling to under 18s will no longer be allowed. Advertising aimed at minors is also prohibited.