Vaping on the Brain:
Teens Uniquely Susceptible to Harms of Vaping
Adolescence is the second most active development period for the human body after infancy, and the human brain is no exception. During a person’s teen years the brain undergoes synaptogenesis, a kind of brain growth spurt when a lot of new synapses – the connection between neurons – is formed. At the same time, more grey matter is forming and there’s a lot of activity – a kind of rewiring – going on in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for all the things like cognition, planning, impulse control, emotional processing, and memory.
It is precisely because the teenage brain is in the middle of creating new grey matter, synapses, and rewiring itself that vaping can be especially harmful to teens.
Vaping on the Brain:
Teens Uniquely Susceptible to Harms of Vaping
Adolescence is the second most active development period for the human body after infancy, and the human brain is no exception. During a person’s teen years the brain undergoes synaptogenesis, a kind of brain growth spurt when a lot of new synapses – the connection between neurons – is formed. At the same time, more gray matter is forming and there’s a lot of activity – a kind of rewiring – going on in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for all the things like cognition, planning, impulse control, emotional processing, and memory.
It is precisely because the teenage brain is in the middle of creating new grey matter, synapses, and rewiring itself that vaping can be especially harmful to teens.
There’s a lot going on physically and biologically in a teenage brain, which means the adolescent brain is a bit “squishy.” These years – from the age of about 13 up until a person is in their mid-twenties – is when much of the hardwiring that will carry a person through their adult life forming and getting set. On a less clinical level, this is also when a person’s lifelong interests, passions and inherent talents emerge and are developed.
All of which makes the teen years a particularly important time to take especially good care of one’s brain. Research indicates that harm to an adolescent brain may have more severe or long-lasting impacts than damage to an adult brain. Some neurologists attribute this to the transitional phase of brain development and one reason teens who sustain concussions tend to suffer concussive symptoms more severely. Teenagers are also more prone to lengthy struggles with post-concussion syndrome.
Teens & Vaping – What’s the Big Deal?
It is precisely because the teenage brain is in the middle of creating new grey matter, synapses, and rewiring itself that vaping can be especially harmful to teens. Just as all that personality and cognitive ability is actively forming, it can also be stopped in its tracks, resulting in arrested development.
For example, a brain in the middle of growing more synapses that connect the regions of the brain that enable a person to remember things can stop or slow down that process when exposed to nicotine or other toxic substances. So a teenager with the potential to have a fantastic memory – very useful for college or vocational trade training – may ultimately end up with mediocre or subpar memory for the rest of their lives because the chemicals interfered with the brain development process. And, their neuroplasticity – the ability for the brain to heal from injury or learn new things – may also become permanently stunted.
Enter vaping. Often considered to be a “better” choice than smoking cigarettes because some e-cigarettes contain less nicotine, the fact is there is no safe amount of nicotine for a developing brain, period.
Nicotine reaches any brain within seconds, stimulating neurotransmitters like dopamine, a “feel good” chemical. This is what makes nicotine addictive. With enough time and repeated exposure, that addiction will impact a person’s mood, memory and learning ability.
Nicotine also causes an increase in anxiety and depression. While this is true regardless of how old a person is, in a teenage brain the impact may be more pronounced, compounding already-fluctuating moods due to normal hormonal swings.
OK, Fine. But What if There’s No Nicotine?
The problem with e-cigarettes, whether they have nicotine or not, is that there are a host of other chemicals in them used to create the smoke, flavor, and compatibility with the vaping device. While these chemicals may be harmless on their own or in low doses, they can still be toxic to your brain when it’s repeatedly exposed to them over time.
Additionally, teens who use e-cigarettes are far more likely to transition into eventually using tobacco and other products that can be equally, if not more, harmful to their developing brain.
So the best advice? Don’t do it. It’s not “better” than a cigarette and it’s certainly not better for your brain.
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The Brain Injury Association of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.
What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.