November 2, 2020
Teens, Vaping and COVID-19
Vaping puts teens and young adults at much higher risk of COVID-19
- A Stanford University study found that young people who have ever vaped are at 5X higher risk for being diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Youth believe their age protects them from COVID-19, but data show this is not true for those who vape.
Why teens and young adults?
- Sharing vapes with friends can increase infection rate
- COVID-19 can spread by hand-to-mouth touching during vaping
- Youth who vape in a group usually don’t distance or wear masks
- Vaping or smoking weakens and scars lungs and may lower resistance
- Vape aerosol may have virus-containing droplets
Research also shows:
- Users of vapes and cigarettes are 7X more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19
- Vapers are also at risk for EVALI and other harmful lung diseases
Now is the time to be someone who NEVER vapes.
How to Quit Vaping
- teen.smokefree.gov/quit-vaping/how-to-quit-vaping
- or download the app: teen.smokefree.gov/become-smokefree/quitstart-app
Learn more:
Sources:
- Davies, N.G., Klepac, P., Liu, Y. et al. Age-dependent effects in the transmission and control of COVID-19 epidemics. Nat Med 26, 1205–1211 (2020).
- Gaiha, S. M., Cheng, J., & Halpern-Felsher, B. (2020). Association Between Youth Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and Coronavirus Disease 2019. Journal of Adolescent Health.
Tags: