If you would like to submit a question for our next FAQ, whether it’s about vaping, marijuana, alcohol, screen addiction, or anything that doesn’t fall in those categories, please feel free to send it to Admin@RayLozano.com with the subject line “FAQ: (topic)”. We thought this would be a good way to answer some of the questions we get asked from parents, teachers, and school staff alike.
Q: What exactly are vapes made of, and what’s the difference between a vape, e-cigarette, JUUL, and Stiiizy?
Vapes and e-cigarettes are essentially the same thing, and the terms can be used interchangeably. A JUUL is a specific brand of e-cigarettes, so it’s like if I had a bunch of shoes lined up, and I said, “these are all shoes, but this one specifically is a nike.”
JUULs can be identified by their likeness to a flash-drive. They have an interchangeable pod which always contains nicotine and a liquid flavoring. JUUL was one of the first e-cigarette brands to get really popular with youth, but in the fast-moving market, it is almost out of fashion now.
Stiiizy (pronounced like: Stizzy) is an e-cigarette brand that is filled with a marijuana liquid. Stiiizy only makes marijuana vapes, so they do not make any that have nicotine.
Other popular brands are Smok, Vuse, and PuffBar. PuffBar is a disposable, single-use vape, which makes it a lot easier to hide.
Q: Is vaping actually dangerous? Isn’t it still better than traditional cigarettes?
For some adults who are long time cigarette users, e-cigarettes could be a way to stop, but it is still extremely difficult. It’s like trying to ween yourself off of chocolate cake by supplementing with cookies. Many people say that vapes are better than regular cigarettes because “they don’t have as many chemicals,” however, because of how hot the liquid is, it still does a lot of damage to the lungs, and the glycerin, vitamin E oil, and chemicals that are in the flavorings do the same kind of damage that tar does in regular cigarettes. Vaping still causes things like lipid pneumonia, cancer, and some things that are specific to vapes like popcorn-lung. For teens, vapes can be far more dangerous than regular cigarettes because vapes are much easier to get addicted to.
Q: How do I know if my kid/teen is vaping?
Well for starters, it’s never too early to start having age-appropriate conversations with your young-ones about vapes, cigarettes, or anything else like that. But if your child is a little older and you are worried, they may be already using, some signs to look out for are sneaky behavioral patterns, changes in their friends, changes in their overall appearance or attitude, and a lessened willingness to talk about their hobbies or activities. The best thing you can do is just be open with them and let them know they can talk to you about this kind of stuff.
Q: What about second-hand smoke from vapes?
Second-hand vape still poses a risk to people who are around someone vaping. One reason why second-hand vape can be so dangerous is because the “vapor” is heavier than air, so when someone is vaping, the aerosol that comes out falls and can land on nearby furniture or the floor, which can then be picked up by others touching those surfaces, and can potentially be transferred into their mouth, eyes, or nose.
Our passion is presenting drug, alcohol, and addiction information in a way that is purely fact-based, easy to understand, and fun to listen to. If you would like to hear more from us, you can check out our videos on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. And if you would like to hear us speak, contact Admin@RayLozano to see if we have grant-money in your area for a potentially no-cost-to-you presentation.
Stay tuned for our next FAQ, and again, if you have a question you would like to submit, you can send them to Admin@RayLozano.
