From the School Nurse 

SCHOOL NURSE UPDATE - VAPING

Vapes or e-cigarettes are battery-powered devices with liquid inside (sometimes called vape juice or e-juice). When electricity from the battery heats the liquid, it makes a mist (aerosol) that you breathe in – this is called vaping.

Most vapes have nicotine in them – even if the package says ‘nicotine-free.’ Nicotine is the same chemical found in ‘regular’ cigarettes. It’s what makes cigarettes and vapes so addictive. Vapes can also contain other active ingredients and chemicals

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In Australia, it's against the law for shops to sell vapes in sweet flavours like lollies or fruit. The only legal flavours for sale are unflavoured, mint, menthol and tobacco.

So, is vaping as bad as cigarettes? Unfortunately, the long-term effects of vaping are still being researched. As it is a fairly new trend the ability to investigate long term effects are difficult. But what is known is that most vapes contain toxic chemicals that are not good for your health. This may be chemicals added to make them taste a certain flavour or it may be chemicals released from the process of the batteries heating the liquid.

A few chemicals often found in vapes are:

• Nicotine: An extremely addictive substance that can make you feel anxious, irritated and angry when you don’t have it.
• Formaldehyde: An ingredient in cleaning liquids that’s known to cause cancer.
• Acetone: A key ingredient in lots of nail polish removers.
• Benzene: A cancer-causing ingredient in bug spray and weed killer.

One cartridge of vape liquid can have as much nicotine as one or two packs of cigarettes.

If you are dependent on vaping, you will often feel the urge to vape. Then, if you don’t vape, you might:

• feel moody
• have trouble focusing
• feel anxious and jittery
• not be able to sleep
• crave vaping all the time.
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These are called nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Quitting vaping looks different for everyone. Some people find it easier to cut down on how much they vape instead of quitting all at once.

It might take a couple of tries to stop vaping altogether, and that’s okay.

Here are some first steps to quitting vaping:

1. Set a ‘quit date’ when you plan to stop vaping.
2. Write down the reasons you want to quit vaping and keep this list nearby.
3. Pay attention to your triggers: When and why do you vape? Do you vape at certain times of day, at parties, or when you are stressed? Think about whether you need to avoid these triggers for a while or what you can do instead of vaping.
4. Get rid of your vapes and refills and distract yourself with hobbies and activities.