Information
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Quitting
There are many ways to quit vaping, the HSE suggests:
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1-to-1 sessions at a stop smoking clinic in your area.
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Group support sessions.
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Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help reduce cravings and withdrawal.
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Prescription treatments from your GP.
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List your smoking triggers and how to avoid them
Doing it with friends can help!
Remind yourself of the benefits of not vaping e.g. saving money, being healthier and having more energy.
Ingredients
3 main ingredients:
- Vegetable Glycerin is a thick, odourless liquid responsible for the clouds your vape produces, veg glycerin is the variant of glycerin specifically made from plant oils.
- Propylene Glycol is a viscous, colourless liquid similar to Veg glycerin, this is what the main vapour consists of in e-cigarettes. The chemical is usually made from petroleum, though some companies are now making it from plants like canola and soybean.
- Nicotine Benzoate is the nicotine component of vapes, it is responsible for the dopamine rush you get after a hit.
Other uses:
- Veg Glycerin was first used to make dynamite in the late 1800s.
- Propylene glycol is mainly used in food production as an anti-caking agent.
- Since nicotine is a toxic chemical, it is sometimes used as a pesticide.
Effects:
- Veg Glycerin, when inhaled, can cause anaphylaxis, diarrhoea, dehydration, difficulty breathing, skin dryness, excessive urination, itching and vomiting.
- Consuming Propylene Glycol can lead to a build-up of lactic acid which can lead to nausea, vomiting and muscle fatigue.
- The use of nicotine before the age of 25 can have a serious effect on the brain. It can harm the brain that promotes attention, learning, mood, and impulse.
Environment
There are lithium batteries inside disposable vapes,
when they “die” the batteries still have 80% capacity left.
The toxins from these batteries then leak into our oceans, soil and air.
The plastic casing can take up to 1,000 years to degrade.
Shops that sell disposable vapes in Ireland are legally required to take back your used vape and recycle it.
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Sleep Disruption
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The research shows that vaping nicotine is associated with sleep problems. Sleep problems can include:
- Insufficient sleep
- Interrupted sleep
- Restlessness during sleep
- Nightmares
- Daytime sleepiness.
Brain
According to the HSE, vaping can impact learning, memory and attention, and increase risk for future addiction to other drugs.
According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, Nicotine mainly impacts the parts of the brain that are responsible for "reward processing and cognitive control". This may lead to addiction.
Advertising
- Vape companies use marketing tactics such as Point of Sale (POS).
- The flavours and packaging of vapes are their advertisements.
- Vape flavours are sometimes not real flavours, like “Island Breeze” or “Cancun Sun”.
This is to persuade people into buying a "lifestyle" rather than flavour.
The sinister marketing tactics are starting to be aimed at younger and younger people.
Animal Testing
E-cigarette tests force animals like rats to inhale vapour daily for months on end in confined spaces. After the companies are done with them they are killed so their tissues can be analysed.
- Castoreum is in your vapes’ e-liquid.
This is a liquid that secretes from glands near a beaver's rectum.
- Dyes used in some e-liquids come from ground-up beetles.
Finances
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A disposable vape everyday for 1 year is €2920.
According to the Irish Budget 2025, "a typical disposable vape costing €8 will increase to €9.23 including VAT."
Addiction
According to Mark Murphy, Senior Policy Leader in Irish Heart Foundation, Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances in the world.
Once nicotine binds to a receptor, it sends a signal to the brain to release a well-known neurotransmitter-dopamine, which helps create a ‘feel-good’ feeling.
Regulations
A ban on single-use vapes has been approved by the cabinet in Ireland from September 2024, this ban is to be set in place in the coming months.
They have banned the sale of all e-cigarettes to U18s.
No vape sold in the EU can contain more than 20m/g of Nicotine.
They are not allowed to be advertised on buses, near schools, cinemas or public parks.
It is also a requirement to have a warning label on the packaging about the harmful contents.
Australia have placed a law that only allows you to use a vape if you have a prescription and the vapes only come in mint, menthol and tobacco flavour. This may influence both the UK and Ireland in the next few years, if successful.