Robert Curiel

Ms. Abu-Baker
English 102
Literature review
3/5/23
Teens and vaping

Populations have been significantly impacted by cigarette smoking for a long time.

Almost ten years ago, e-cigarettes were developed as an alternative to cigarettes. An electronic

device called an e-cigarette heats a liquid to create tiny airborne particles (CDC, 2022). They

come in a variety of flavors and have been promoted as a risk-free alternative to smoking

cigarettes. As a result, they have gained popularity among young people, particularly those in

middle and high school. The use of an electronic cigarette is often referred to as "vaping" and

"JUULing" (CDC, 2022). With data gathered throughout the years, there is proof connecting

smoking to lung cancer. Although there are cautions on the health risks associated with e-

cigarettes, there is no conclusive evidence to compare them to the harm caused by cigarettes.

Teenagers have been warned that e-cigarettes are dangerous in terms of the younger

demographic (CDC, 2022). E-cigarettes, like cigarettes, contain nicotine, which is highly

addictive and can alter the chemical makeup of developing brains (CDC, 2022). The fact that

kids may not be aware of what they are putting in their bodies makes the sale of e-cigarettes

frightening. The results of recent research by the CDC about e-cigarettes were disturbing.

According to reports, 99% of e-cigarettes sold in the US were found to include nicotine even

though some product labels listed nicotine as an inactive component or falsely claimed it

contained 0% nicotine (CDC, 2022). Also, there is worry about what vaping might be doing to

teenagers' lungs.
 The general public's and friend groups' social influences on e-cigarette use have been

observed to have an impact on "smoking behaviors" (Chao et al.). Smoking habits include using

traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, or both. It is believed that the rise in e-cigarette use is

to blame for how communities and individuals feel about vaping (Chao et al.). A choice model

for high school students was developed in a study of 3,000 high school students using

information from the 2011–2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey (see Figure 1). (Chao et al.).

Based on the utility calculation that was comprised of each participant's personal marginal utility

resulting from their smoking status, as well as the utility calculation for the entire group, each

participant stated whether they smoked or not from social pressure from their circle of friends

and the public.

The number of smokers in a person's immediate social circle was used to measure peer

influence, while the prevalence of various smoking kinds in the US was used to measure societal

influence. Depending on how receptive teenagers are to various forms of smoking (Chao et al.,

2019). After the behavioral study, the participants and their friends' networks' behavioral state

was changed, added back into the model, and the cycle was repeated. This changed the social

impact environment. The researchers modified several of the model's assumptions after doing a

validity check on it by comparing it to the real trend of teen smoking prevalence of the crucial

variables that related to teens' social influence sensitivity to ascertain how the prevalence rates of

the various types of smoking influence one another through teens' behavioral decisions.

The Chao et al. (2019) article had a flaw in that the researchers were unable to adequately

describe how peers and communities could affect teenagers. Another recent study examined how

peer pressure and schools affect teenagers' decisions to use e-cigarettes (Lippert et al., 2019).

Two questions were the focus of the study: "(1) How did the prevalence of youth vaping change
across the population between 2011 and 2017? School clustering of vaping is a measure of how

different schools are based on the prevalence of student e-cigarette use. (2) How common is

using electronic cigarettes in schools related with a student's likelihood of vaping in the absence

of important parental and peer influences?" (Lippert et al., 2019, p. 1900).

The Ecological Systems Theory was applied in this study to examine the query.

According to the Ecological Systems Theory, a variety of elements have an impact on young

people (Lippert et al., 2019). Youth can be influenced by a variety of factors, including culture,

public policy, and trends among families, classmates, and schools (Lippert et al.). What is known

is that in schools with permissive norms and high vaping rates, youth are more likely to believe

that e-cigarettes do not cause any harm and are less addictive than traditional cigarettes (Lippert

et al.). Just how schools inspire children to use e-cigarettes is unknown.

Internet, television, movies, magazines, and retail establishments, to mention a few, were

the main sources of e-cigarette marketing exposure for 69% of middle and high school students

(CDC, 2017). Researchers carried out a study to determine the effect of e-cigarette marketing on

juvenile e-cigarette use (Nicksic et al.). E-cigarette advertising expenditures tripled between

2011 and 2012, and the majority of the ads were broadcast on television (Nicksic et al.). Also,

from 2011 to 2012, radio advertisements doubled, and from 2011 to 2013, e-cigarette

advertisements reached 24 million youths between the ages of 10 and 19 years old (Nicksic et

al.). In 2014, 70% of American teenagers saw advertisements for e-cigarettes on television, the

internet, and in stores, to mention a few (Nicksic et al.). In a 2014 randomized control trial, the

impact of watching TV advertisements for e-cigarettes was investigated (Farrelly et al., 2015).

Despite concerns being voiced about how safe the products are, researchers found that exposure

to e-cigarette ads and use had increased in recent years (Farrelly et al., 2015)
 Long-term nicotine use during adolescence has serious consequences, including impaired

cognitive function, which may make teenagers later on less focused and more irresponsible

(Counotte et al.). For years, nicotine has been blamed for being addictive, which is a big factor in

why it's so difficult for regular cigarette smokers to stop. The presence of nicotine in e-cigarettes

is another factor contributing to their high and rising prevalence. But why does nicotine become

addictive? Regular nicotine usage results in the release of dopamine in the brain (The NIDA

Blog Team, 2019). Dopamine is released, and this release instructs the body to repeatedly engage

in the same behavior—in this case, smoking nicotine from e-cigarettes—by activating the brain's

pleasure circuit (The NIDA Blog Team, 2019).

More researchers have been investigating the effects of e-cigarettes, particularly on

teenagers, as the influence they have on the respiratory system has come to light. Teens who

were exposed to vaporized cannabis/nicotine while suffering from a variety of acute respiratory

ailments were evaluated for their vaping habits (Thakar et al.). This review's objective was to

examine radiological imaging of lung damage brought on by vaping (Thakar et al.). Researchers

identified teenagers who were recognized as having lung damage from e-cigarettes at a pediatric

hospital over a 3-month period using a pulmonary database (Thakar et al.).

Also, both smokers and non-smokers who use e-cigarettes may experience lung problems

(Northwestern Medicine, 2019). Nicotine is a prevalent ingredient in vapes, as was already

established. High blood pressure, artery narrowing, and reduced blood supply to key organs are

all effects of nicotine addiction (Northwestern Medicine, 2019). These are just a few negative

consequences of vaping. Because their bodies are still developing, adolescents shouldn't be

experiencing such negative effects at such a young age. Perhaps educating young individuals

about the harmful effects of vaping can persuade them to think twice before using such goods.
‌ According to research, adolescents are currently recognized to be easily persuaded to

vape by classmates and social media, and advertising drives the market and influences teens. It is

also well recognized that nicotine's addictiveness, particularly in youth, has a harmful impact on

their health. It's critical that long-lasting measures are made to reduce e-cigarette use and

enhance teen health considering much of the knowledge that has been discovered regarding the

effects of e-cigarettes, particularly in youth. Since adolescents' bodies continue to develop until

age 25, using e-cigarettes can be extremely dangerous, especially for those between the ages of

13 and 19. Without a question, we need to find a method to make it challenging. To save lives, it

must be impossible for teenagers to access e-cigarettes and associated items. Ads must be

regulated, stiffer fines must be enforced, and minors must be informed about the dangers of e-

cigarette use to reduce teen e-cigarette use's prevalence.

Communities, parents, educators, and the federal government should all work toward

reducing the prevalence of e-cigarettes. Teens are motivated to vape by a variety of variables,

including peers, social media, and advertisements, as we have shown. Also, we've found that e-

cigarettes are bad for people's bodies, particularly teenagers. It's important to consider seriously

the possibility of nicotine addiction and respiratory problems brought on by lung damage from e-

cigarette use. By concentrating on primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive initiatives, we can

both reduce the use of e-cigarettes and improve people's general health and well-being. We can

lessen the negative effects of e-cigarettes on youth and communities by enforcing stricter

penalties from the FDA and the federal government against businesses that violate the rules,

educating kids effectively, and controlling advertising.

 Citations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Quick Facts on the Risks of E-Cigarettes for Kids,

Teens, and Young Adults.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 10 Nov.

2022, www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-

E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html.

Chao, Dingding, et al. “Social Influence of E-Cigarette Smoking Prevalence on Smoking

Behaviours among High-School Teenagers: Microsimulation Experiments.” PLOS ONE,

vol. 14, no. 8, 29 Aug. 2019, p. e0221557,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6715222/pdf/pone.0221557.pdf,

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221557.

Lippert, Adam M., et al. “Schools Influence Adolescent E-Cigarette Use, but When? Examining

the Interdependent Association between School Context and Teen Vaping over

Time.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 48, no. 10, 24 Aug. 2019,

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01106-y.

CDC. “E-Cigarette Ads and Youth.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 Mar. 2017,

www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/ecigarette-ads/index.html.

‌Nicksic, NicoleE., et al. “Recall of E-Cigarette Advertisements and Adolescent E-Cigarette

Use.” Tobacco Regulatory Science, vol. 3, no. 2, 1 Apr. 2017, pp. 210–221,

https://doi.org/10.18001/trs.3.2.9. Accessed 19 Mar. 2020.

Farrelly, Matthew C., et al. “A Randomized Trial of the Effect of E-Cigarette TV

Advertisements on Intentions to Use E-Cigarettes.” American Journal of Preventive

Medicine, vol. 49, no. 5, Nov. 2015, pp. 686–693,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.05.010. Accessed 2 Aug. 2020.

Counotte, Danielle S., et al. “Long-Lasting Cognitive Deficits Resulting from Adolescent

Nicotine Exposure in Rats.” Neuropsychopharmacology: Official Publication of the

American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, vol. 34, no. 2, 1 Jan. 2009, pp. 299–

306, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18580873, https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2008.96.

Abuse, National Institute on Drug. “Parents & Educators.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 22

Apr. 2020, nida.nih.gov/research-topics/parents-educators.

Thakrar, Pooja D., et al. “E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use-Associated Lung Injury in

Adolescents: A Review of Imaging Features.” Pediatric Radiology, 2020,

www.semanticscholar.org/paper/E-cigarette%2C-or-vaping%2C-product-use-associated-

lung-Thakrar-Boyd/b5466a9d590084de6be9c2ac70c3bc8bc8437f10. Accessed 10 Mar.

2023.

Northwestern Medicine. “Northwestern Medicine.” Northwestern Medicine, 2019,

www.nm.org/.

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