Inside the teenage vaping crisis: Lungs, hearts, and minds at risk

India Today

07-07-2025

In school corridors and behind college hostel doors, a new health crisis is slowly taking shape. It doesn't carry the stench of cigarette smoke, neither does it leave ashes behind. But what it leaves is much worse. Early signs of addiction, lung damage, and mental health disruptions in teens as young as twelve.Vaping in India isn't just a Western trend that's made its way here. It's a growing public health emergency. And while the government did ban e-cigarettes in 2019 through the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, what followed was a different kind of challenge: unregulated access, poor enforcement, and widespread ignorance about its true risks.advertisementYoung users, mostly unaware of the internal toll, believe vaping is harmless, but doctors now say otherwise. Unfortunately, data backs them up.WARNING SIGNS ARE HERE
News reports in 2023 found 96% of Indian school students in the age group of 14-17 years did not know that vapes and similar electronic devices are banned in India. Another 89% are unaware of their harmful effects, according to a study. Another survey revealed that 8.6% of schoolchildren aged between 13–15 years had already experimented with e-cigarettes. In urban areas such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, experts suggest that number may be much higher. There is mounting evidence of teens who have experienced vaping-related symptoms very early on in their life. These included persistent coughs, shortness of breath, early signs of high blood pressure, and even mild heart blockages in children as young as ten.LUNGS: INFLAMMED AND STRUGGLING Vaping may look cleaner than smoking, but inside the body, it's anything but. A study that was documented in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine in 2024 found teens who vape had significantly reduced their lung capacity. Some even showed signs of bronchial inflammation and scarring. These changes were typically seen in chain smokers.Doctors at the Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai, reported a rise in adolescent patients (almost 40%) showing symptoms such as wheezing, chronic dry cough, and even what they call 'popcorn lung' - a health condition linked to exposure to diacetyl, a chemical found in many flavoured vape liquids.HEART: UNDER PRESSURE TOO SOON Unlike cigarettes, vape devices use nicotine salts, which deliver higher doses more rapidly into the bloodstream, which leads to a sharp increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and overall vascular strain.An ICMR-backed study discovered early warning signs of arterial stiffness and elevated CRP levels ( a protein that signals inflammation). These are markers typically associated with heart disease in adults. 'We now see 17-year-olds with symptoms we once saw only in middle-aged smokers,' says Dr. Ranjan Mathur, cardiologist from Delhi. 'And many of them have never touched a cigarette — just vapes.'BRAIN: STILL GROWING, EASILY HOOKED advertisementThe adolescent brain is still under construction, especially the prefrontal cortex, which handles decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Vaping is known to disrupt that process by overstimulating dopamine, making the brain get hooked to it. A study by NIMHANS also revealed a deep link between regular vaping and the issue of rising cases of teen anxiety, ADHD, and even low emotional control. 'The mental health impact of vapes is real, and it's growing,' says Dr. Meera Kumari, a child psychiatrist in Thane. 'We're not just dealing with addiction any more. We're dealing with emotional volatility, academic decline, and long-term behavioural changes.'POLICY GAP WIDE OPEN Despite the nationwide ban on e-cigarettes, the reality on the ground tells a different story. An NGO in their 2024 investigation revealed over 300 Instagram and Telegram sellers openly promoting vape devices, disguised as 'diffusers' or 'wellness inhalers.'It is true that schools in the metros are struggling to keep up. The vapes are devices that are small, and odourless. They look like USB drives, making detection nearly impossible without active monitoring.Doctors have advised parents to have early, open conversations rather than disciplinary action against their wards. "Look out for signs like fruity smells, dry throat, anxiety, and changes in mood or concentration," advises Dr Puneet Sethi, a pulmonologist in Noida.advertisementHe also suggests that parents involve schools in awareness-building rather than punitive punishment. "Parents must push for more serious regulation of online vape sales, including influencer marketing online. The lungs, hearts and brain of our youth deserve better than vapour and denial," believes Dr Sethi. This is not harmless experimentation or yet another harmless phase. It's a fast-accelerating health problem disguised in modern packaging. While policies can always improve, the true solution lies in informed awareness, both at home and in schools.- Ends