Thousands of Canadians are becoming addicted to nicotine. There has recently been an increase in the popularity of nicotine products such as vapes, cigarettes, and nicotine pouches among young Canadians.
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Figure 1. Vape pen and Cigarette Source:Wikimedia
Many teens turn to vaping or nicotine pouches believing they are safer to consume than tobacco products but the truth is that they are all harmful. The nicotine in these tobacco-free products is extracted from tobacco giving it its addictive quality. Nicotine is an extremely addictive, fast-acting psychoactive chemical. It stimulates the release of adrenaline and dopamine. While nicotine is not generally the root cause of illness or death, its presence in all smoking products is what gets people addicted. The general public is becoming addicted to nicotine products at an alarming rate.
Figure 2. Chemical structure of Nicotine Source: Wikimedia
The rise in nicotine addiction in adolescents can be linked to the rise of vape usage. The Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine survey of 2021 concluded that almost half of all adults aged 20-24 reported using vape products at least once. Similarly, they found that 29% of youth aged 15 to 19 years of age had tried vape products.
Figure 3. Vaping statistics among youth in Canada
Nicotine has been proven to be especially harmful to developing adults. Since the brain has not fully developed until at least 25 years of age, any nicotine usage in adolescence can cause irreversible damage to it. In adolescents, nicotine particularly affects the prefrontal cortex which is the area of the brain that is responsible for executive functions and attention performance. Nicotine has both short and long-term effects on the brain such as developing mood disorders and permanently lowering impulse control.
This is a problem that must be addressed. Keeping Canadians away from nicotine is vital to their well-being.
-Oscar Caridad