SAFE Glen Cove Coalition: Smart Vapes can lead to Nicotine Addiction

SAFE and Coalition Partner Tobacco Action Coalition of LI in our effort to keep parents and youth informed are sharing concerns over new “Smart Vapes” with interactive displays. Smart Vapes have been introduced as battery-powered sticks that emit nicotine-infused vapor. These devices, “vape pens”, have been altered into increasingly dangerous sophisticated entertainment devices that have been marketed to young people.

Last year, disposable vapes gained small, illuminated displays typically to show how much battery life remained. In about six months the displays grew to the size of a flip phone screen and came equipped with retro games like “Pac-Man” and “Tetris” — on a product that costs a teen less than $20 to purchase.

The speed at which vapes advanced to include an interactive display, as well as the devices’ potential appeal to young people, is raising concerns about nicotine addiction among teenagers is raising concern among researchers who monitor tobacco-related diseases, electronic cigarettes and the toxicological effects of nicotine. They suggest the catalyst for this new generation of vapes, was Geek Bar Pulse, a vape that had the first full-length screen, according to the Geek Bar website. The larger screen displayed battery life, the amount of vape juice remaining and an animated spaceship. Next was a viral tweet of a photo of a “Pac-Man”-like game on the Craftbox V-Play 20K disposable vape.

Smart Vapes are attention grabbing and appealing to youth. The incorporation of “game mode,” is particularly concerning. The nearly 2-inch screen gives the user the option of playing three games styled after “Pac-Man,” “Tetris” and “JetFighter.” This is just one of the vape products that have gaming capabilities. Another is the Ursa Pocket Pod Kit by Lost Vape, which has a puff count competition and the ability to display your ranking on Lost Vape social media accounts.

Researchers maintain Smart Vapes use their enhancements to entice youth in the same way that a slot machine might light up and make sounds. However, the vapes prey on three potential addictions: screen-time obsession, gaming disorder and nicotine dependence. Researchers still aren’t sure what the health effects of vapes are. In the absence of clear guidance, users will generally assume the devices are not as bad as cigarettes. Vapes and e-cigarettes have different chemicals, and some of those chemicals are toxic. The long-term effects are still unknown. What is known is that vaping involves inhaling “e-juice” in the form of an aerosol that contains flavorings such as diacetyl — a chemical linked to serious lung disease — along with nicotine and other chemicals.

Researchers hope that the products will get on the Food and Drug Administration’s radar for regulation. In the long term, increasing awareness of how vapes can evolve in short periods of time can increase surveillance and monitoring to ensure products that are targeting youth are swiftly removed from the market.

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. The Coalition is concerned about all combustible and electronic products with marijuana and tobacco and youth consumption. The Agency is employing environmental strategies to educate and update the community regarding the negative consequences in collaboration with Carol Meschkow, Manager- Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow www.facebook.com/safeglencove or to learn more about electronic products visit the Vaping Facts and Myths Page of SAFE’s website to learn more about how vaping is detrimental to your health www.safeglencove.org.