Families For Life | Blowing away mistruths around vaping

What may seem like harmless “puffs” is becoming a serious concern among youths today. With trendy designs and sweet flavours, vaping products are finding their way into young hands faster than ever. What they are unaware of is how quickly vaping can lead to long-term addiction and cause harm to their bodies and brains.

It’s time to separate fact from fiction and help our youth understand the real risks behind vaping.

Myth 1: Vaping is inhaling flavoured water

This myth might have stemmed from the fact that vape juice comes in all sorts of sweet flavours and scents (like candy, desserts, and fruits). In reality, this is a marketing tactic used by vape manufacturers to attract young people and turn them into lifelong customers.

Vape juice is a mixture of many harmful substances. Just changing the cartridge alone could expose you to near-toxic levels of pollutants. While the percentages vary depending on the manufacturer, some common ingredients include:

  • Nicotine

  • Benzene

  • Formaldehydes

  • Toluene

  • Heavy metals, like tin, lead, and nickel

  • Drugs and stimulants, like etomidate and ketamine

Myth 2: Not all vapes contain nicotine and etomidate; those are fine to inhale

According to the World Health Organisation, some vape products labelled as nicotine-free can still contain nicotine. This could be due to contamination, mislabeling, or even intentional deception by manufacturers.

KPODs, or vapes containing etomidate, are no different. 12% of vapes seized in Singapore had etomidate in them, and unsurprisingly, some KPODs also contain nicotine.

Myth 3: I can recover from the effects of vaping since I’m still young

Studies show that nicotine negatively impacts brain development. It lowers your brain’s ability to manage impulse control, attention and learning. This can lead to drastic mood swings, sudden physical or verbal outbursts, getting addicted easily, or compulsiveness. These negative consequences are often hard to reverse.

Medical studies have also shown e-cigarettes and vaping could be a gateway to other vice abuse. There’s growing evidence to show that those who vape have 3 times the risk of becoming smokers as compared to those who don’t. This leads to a perpetual cycle that one cannot easily recover from.

Myth 4: I won’t be fined if I buy vapes for someone else and don't use them myself

Singapore law states that possessing, using, or purchasing vapes is prohibited, and you face paying a fine of up to $2,000 if caught. So, even if you are buying for someone, you still bought the vape, which is against the law and you will face penalties.

Myth 5: I will face consequences if I want to quit vaping now

There are no repercussions if you seek support to quit vaping. Even if you admit to vaping during counselling, all information will be kept confidential and will not be reported to other authorities.

You can dial in to Quitline at 1800 438 2000 to seek help in quitting. Alternatively, you can sign up for the HPB I Quit Programme. Remain vape-free for 28 days and you are 5 times more likely to quit! You can also nominate your loved ones as a supporter when you sign up for the programme, helping you to be more motivated to quit.

Beat the vaping mistruths

Our youths are often misled into believing that the harms of vaping are minimal, which makes them more enticed to try it, even if just once. But that often leads to a slippery slope of addiction that brings more consequences to their health and well-being.

Parents, it’s time to clear the air about these mistruths and empower our youths to resist the lure of vaping before it becomes a lasting habit that’s hard to break.

For more information, visit this website for guides to opening conversations about vaping with your children, resources and upcoming programmes to learn about the harms of vaping, as well as contact points if you need more support.