Vaping is the act of inhaling vapour produced by a vaporiser or electronic cigarette (e-cigarette). The vapour is produced from a material such as an e-liquid, waxy concentrates, or dry herb. A vaporiser, an electric device, turns the vaping material into vapour.
It consists of a battery, main console or housing, cartridges, an atomiser or cartomiser.
The battery generates the power for the heating element in the atomiser, which contacts the vaping material, usually the addictive material nicotine, and transforms it into vapour for inhalation.
Known by different names—e-cigs, e-hookahs, vape pens, and electronic nicotine delivery systems—these vaping devices or vapers look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, some even resembling pens.
Different types of vaporisers support the vaping of different materials—vaporisers using e-liquids have a cartridge or tank, while a dry herb vaporiser has a heating chamber.
Multipurpose vaporisers allow the vaping of different materials simply by switching cartridges. There is an array of vaping flavours now available easily—mint, mango, fruit medley, vanilla, and cucumber which makes ‘them attractive to kids’.
In India, the cost of an e-cig or vaper is anywhere between ` 3,000 and ` 30,000. Refill costs are between ` 700 and ` 1,000 depending on the size and flavour.
UPSC Exam Preparation eBooks
A study in 2018 revealed that around 6.25 lakh Indian kids smoke. Now schools are facing a major problem as students are switching from cigarettes to sleek vaping devices that can be easily concealed. Students are picking vaping, the latest fad, from their friends.
Sales of e-cigarettes have risen since 2007, where they first began to be retailed in India.
Though the industry claims that vaping is a healthier alternative, as it helps quit smoking, the government is biased against it. This is because nicotine is highly addictive. It is toxic to foetuses and pregnant mothers. It causes harm to adolescent brain development.
Once encouraged as an alternative to smoking cigarettes, now young people smoke both cigarettes and e-cigarettes! The e-cigarettes are as addictive as the cigarettes and can lead to youth taking up the habit of smoking at a later age.