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India Today
04-08-2025
- Health
- India Today
The Hidden Dangers of Vaping: A Teen Crisis
The Hidden Dangers of Vaping: A Teen Crisis Vaping in India is a growing public health emergency. While the government banned e-cigarettes in 2019 via Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, unregulated access, poor enforcement, and widespread ignorance about its true risks exist. Vaping in India Dr. Gautam Saha, neuropsychiatrist and founder of Clinic Brain Neuropsychiatric Institute & Research Centre in Kolkata, says, "More teenagers are picking up their first cigarette or vape without realising they've started a habit that's notoriously hard to shake." Vaping: An Addiction Many teenagers believe that vaping is a 'safer' or more benign alternative to smoking cigarettes. This is a dangerous misconception, says Dr. Saha. The Misconception Unlike cigarettes, vape devices use nicotine salts, which deliver higher doses more rapidly into the bloodstream, leading to a sharp increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and overall vascular strain. Heart Under Pressure Dr. Ranjan Mathur, cardiologist from Delhi, says, "We now see 17-year-olds with symptoms we once saw only in middle-aged smokers. Many of them never touched cigarettes, just vapes." "Beyond mood disturbances, nicotine exposure can impair memory, learning, and impulse control, traits essential for adolescence and adulthood alike," adds Dr. Saha. Memory and Learning 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.' Mental Health Exposure to diacetyl causes irreversible lung injury, leading to symptoms like shortness of breath, says Dr. Radhika Banka, pulmonologist at PD Hinduja Hospital.. Irreversible Lung Damage "Until every school is truly tobacco-free and every parent knows a USB-stick could be an e-cigarette, we have work to do," states Malavika Kaura Saxena, chief marketing officer at Rusan Pharma. What To Do
India Today
31-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
From trend to trap: The silent vaping crisis gripping India's teenagers
The steady infiltration of vaping into teenage lives in India has become a growing concern among public health experts. Though cigarette use among adolescents shows a gradual decline, the threat posed by e-cigarettes, discreet and dangerously misunderstood, looms large."In many parts of India, especially urban centres and even small towns, more and more teenagers are picking up their first cigarette or vape without realising they've started a habit that's notoriously hard to shake," Dr. Gautam Saha, a leading neuropsychiatrist and founder of Clinic Brain Neuropsychiatric Institute & Research Centre in Kolkata told the government's proactive step in 2019 to ban e-cigarettes under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, loopholes persist. Traditional tobacco use still commands a greater share of the problem. According to Global Youth Tobacco Surgery 2019, around 2-3% of Indian adolescents are cigarette smokers (additional bidi smokers), with some northeastern states reporting smoking rates as high as 58%. Despite the government's proactive step in 2019 to ban e-cigarettes under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, loopholes persist. (Photo: Reuters) However, experts warn that vaping, though less prevalent, is a rapidly emerging threat."The relatively low figures for vaping today should not breed complacency, they reflect a situation that could change quickly," Dr. Saha warned. The rising use of e-cigarettes among Indian teens may be subtle now, but it bears the potential of reversing decades of hard-won progress in tobacco VAPING APPEALS TO TEENSWhat makes vaping particularly insidious is its deceptive reputation."Many teenagers believe that vaping is a 'safer' or more benign alternative to smoking cigarettes. This is a dangerous misconception," Dr. Saha asserted. Unlike cigarettes, vapes don't emit telltale smells or smoke, allowing them to slip under the radar in schools and some variants pack a heavier nicotine punch than traditional cigarettes. "Vaping might not have tar or smoke, but it brings its baggage. Many vapes provide high doses of nicotine, sometimes more than a cigarette," he added. Nicotine, especially during adolescence, wreaks havoc on the developing brain. (Photo: Generative AI) Nicotine, especially during adolescence, wreaks havoc on the developing brain."Nicotine works like a con artist, it hijacks the teen brain by mimicking natural reward chemicals. With repeated hits, it changes how young people feel joy, focus, or even boredom," the neuropsychiatrist mood disturbances, nicotine exposure can impair memory, learning, and impulse control, traits essential for adolescence and adulthood POLICY ARSENAL: GOOD ON PAPER, GAPS ON THE GROUNDadvertisementThe national policy framework is not lacking. As Malavika Kaura Saxena, chief marketing officer at Rusan Pharma, outlineed: "India's approach is multi-pronged: strong laws (no e-cigs, no sales to minors), school-based interventions (ToFEI guidelines, curriculum integration), public education, and enforcement efforts have been initiated.'These efforts include the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), and public awareness campaigns specifically aimed at engaging the implementation remains inconsistent across states and school systems. "Until every school is truly tobacco-free and every parent knows a USB-stick could be an e-cigarette, we have work to do," Saxena stated. Many teenagers believe that vaping is a 'safer' or more benign alternative to smoking cigarettes. While some schools conduct bag checks, awareness sessions, and parent-teacher dialogues, others remain in the dark. "Irrespective of the type of school or board, awareness around smoking, tobacco and vaping needs to be part of our curriculum and sensitisation should be mandatory at all levels," she THE SIGNS EARLYBeyond regulation, the fight must also be cultural and emotional."To counter this belief, we need stories more than stats. Let students hear from peers who got hooked. It's crucial to talk more about what withdrawal looks like or how a vape pen leads to chronic wheezing. Facts help, but emotion drives it home," said Dr. shift in narrative, from abstract statistics to relatable, visceral accounts, could make the difference in reaching impressionable teens. Unusual smells, subtle gadgets, and shifting social circles often provide the first clues. (Photo: Generative AI) Spotting the signs of addiction early is equally critical. "The signs aren't always loud. A kid who suddenly gets edgy, snaps easily, or takes frequent 'breaks' alone could be feeding a new habit. Teachers might notice a drop in focus or more restroom breaks than usual.," Dr. Saha fruity smells, subtle USB-like gadgets, and shifting social circles often provide the first some teens are beginning to recognise the dangers and speak out. The good news is that this issue is getting higher priority than before, the experts continuous pressure from courts, public health officials, and citizen groups, enforcement is being tightened,' Saxena challenge now is to maintain this momentum and ensure that the regulations are not just laws on paper but active shields protecting India's youth.
