We have a vape problem
THE THING IS… I REALLY WANT A VAPE.
Most of us are well aware vaping isn’t exactly the healthiest hobby. But illegal e-cigarettes are now flooding the market at an alarming rate, hiding dangerously high levels of metal and other chemicals. Will it put us off? Or are we already a nation addicted?
I’ve just spent the past 30 minutes discussing the dangers of the candyadjacent, nightmare-dressed-as-a-daydream habit that has, of late, engulfed every festival, street and even school bathroom in a sweet, enticing fog. ‘So,’ I said, role-playing as a sensible journalist, all smart in my oversize suit jacket. ‘It’s essentially playing a lottery with your lungs?’ The woman opposite me, Jeanelle de Gruchy, England’s deputy chief medical officer (so incredibly smart and grown-up) nodded. I nodded back; smiled. See, I thought, I’m giving off the impression of someone who would never do anything as silly as vape.
But here I am, mere minutes later, outside her offices at the Department of Health and Social Care in the tepid summer heat, rummaging in my bag for the little pink tube that I’m sure is in here. Where is it?
It feels like vapes just appeared in a puff of sweet smoke and now – like it or not – they’re everywhere. If you’re not vaping yourself, chances are you know someone who is, not to mention the endless stream of celebrities and influencers whose vaping habits hit headlines and get made into memes – from expert smoke rings (Kylie Jenner) to asking fans to locate their lost vape on stage (Lana Del Rey), while TV shows such as Euphoria see the cast rarely without a vape pursed between their lips.
But while their growth has been exceptional over the past few years, the first e-cigarette was actually invented in the 1960s, sold as an alternative to smoking as it was an effective way to get a nicotine hit without inhaling cigarettes’ known carcinogens, such as tar, carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals. However, reusable e-cigarettes did pose one problem: they were an expensive investment upfront, and a bit of a faff to charge and refill with sticky vape liquid. So, in 2019, along came the first disposable vape – cheap, easy to use and in an array of fruity flavours. Win-win for those giving up smoking, right? But it’s not quite that simple. Their availability has pulled in a whole new market; people like me who have never smoked, but now vape instead. And, as I’m about to find out, thousands of us could still be inhaling illegal levels of toxic chemicals and dizzyingly high volumes of nicotine without even knowing it.
BERRY, WATERMELON… ARSENIC?
‘Do you have anything bigger?’ I’m role-playing again, standing in a mobile phone shop, marvelling (in a way I fear is a bit OTT) at the arra
