The one big misconception about vaping is that it is not as bad for the health as cigarettes, or any other kind of tobacco-based product. This is a big selling point for adults, and some teens see the points too. However, there are still some big health risks when using any kind of smoking device or product. This is partly due to ENDS, or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, having few regulations from the Food and Drug Administration.

One of these regulations include a mandatory list of ingredients for all ENDS juice manufacturers to check for unregulated ingredients that can be deadly to consumers. These regulations only ban a few lethal ingredients, but for the most part it is free game for companies and small manufacturers.

Some health issues caused by vaping include a weakened immune system, increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer and other problems with the lungs. These are similar health effects as conventional smoking of tobacco products.

“I used to vape a lot my freshman year, but quit soon after I saw some of the bad effects it had to my lungs,” senior Nathan Sanchez said. “The big reason I quit was because of a health effect called popcorn lung. It starts with small spots of swelling that slowly get bigger, then burst. This can cause shortness of breath and other small issues, but if enough of these little sours burst, it can create permanent damage to your lungs that can only be fixed by surgery.”

Today, a lot of teens are getting into the trend of vaping without completely knowing the full list of risks it has on their health. According to The American Health Association, one in four teens have vaped. Hopefully this number will decrease if these negative effects of vaping are more apparent to teens today.