10 Summer 2020
are engaging in it, and the lack of understanding among young people of its risks. Given the short time vaping has been in use, even the medical profession isn’t fully aware of all the dangers associated with it. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) refers to it as “tracking a moving target,” the challenge for researchers who are trying to understand the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.
And it is not a consistent product everywhere it is sold. According to Dr. Robert Schwartz of CAMH, “We are seeing a range of devices, mechanisms and contents. Some e-cigarettes may deliver as much nicotine in 10 puffs as there is in a tobacco cigarette ... . Other e-cigarettes may contain little or no nicotine.” Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Laurie Zawertailo, also of CAMH, have also reported that
image: health canada
In the vaping substances that contain nicotine, the level of nicotine can vary widely, with some having more nicotine than a typical tobacco cigarette. Vaping products do not produce smoke, contain tobacco or involve burning. They can deliver nicotine to your body, causing you to crave it more and more, leading to addiction and physical dependence. For schools, vaping presents a challenge due to the increasing number of young people who
