It’s a sad irony that a product that was originally conceived as a smoking cessation aid is, in fact, creating a whole new generation of nicotine addicts. According to the Truth Initiative, the use of disposable e-cigarettes increased about 1,000% among high school e-cigarette users in 2020, and they are now the most common source of tobacco for young people.

In North America, a sudden outbreak of lung injuries associated with e-cigarettes during the summer of 2019 highlighted some of the short-term dangers of these devices. But perhaps even more concerning is that they are so new that experts don’t yet know what the long-term effects might be.

However, emerging research shows that e-cigarette users are exposed to many of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in traditional cigarettes, including nicotine and other toxicants. As such, vaping can also negatively impact the heart, brain and lungs in many of the same ways that cigarette use can.

What is Vaping?

Vapes, vape pens, mods, tanks or e-cigarettes are collectively known as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). These battery-operated devices heat a liquid into an aerosol that is then inhaled. This liquid usually — but not always — contains nicotine, and thus, in theory, helps smokers wean themselves off cigarettes.

One of the reasons behind the rapid uptake among teens, however, is that many have added fruit or candy flavours that appeal to young people. Another reason is the product design, which has become increasingly sleek and techy looking. Devices can look like pens or zip drives and fit neatly into the palm of a hand. And then there’s the marketing, much of which is on social media and targets this age group.

E-cigarettes have also succeeded in removing many of the negative connotations of conventional cigarettes — users don’t inhale the tar, there is no smoke or unpleasant smell, and they are cheaper than tobacco — all of which add to their appeal.

Vape Use in Cayman

The NDC shares that while 40+ countries worldwide have prohibited vaping in all forms, these devices are readily available in gas stations and corner shops across the Cayman Islands, and are often prominently displayed.

Although by law, tobacco products cannot be sold to under-18s in Cayman, it’s a grey area as some vapes do not always contain tobacco-derived nicotine and are, therefore, not technically a tobacco product. However, the Cayman Islands Government has proposed the Tobacco (Amendment) Bill, 2026 to regulate vaping products. These measures intend to ban the sale vapes to under-18s and prohibit of single-use vape products.

The NDC’s 2026 Cayman Islands Student Drug Use Survey (CISDUS), which polled 3,682 students in Cayman's schools, found that e-cigarettes were the second most common substance used by young people after alcohol, with 23% reporting having vaped at least once. This equates to about 1 in 5 students.

The survey also found that 16% of students first tried an e-cigarette at 13 years or younger. This is five times greater than the number of students who have tried conventional cigarettes.

Risks of Vaping

Because vapes have been around for less than 20 years, the long-term effects have yet to be seen. Their recent emergence also means that there is little regulation surrounding them, and some of the chemicals used in them are unknown, so their safety has not been established.

Most vapes deliver nicotine, a highly addictive substance that is known to raise the heart rate and increase the risk of heart attack. Nicotine is particularly dangerous for young people, as it can have damaging effects on brain development: it may lower impulse control in developing brains and can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning. Evidence indicates that those who consume nicotine through vaping are more likely to also use traditional tobacco products and try other drugs.

An entire Elf Bar, one of the largest vape brands, delivers about 650mg of nicotine to the user, which is equivalent to the amount of nicotine in approximately 590 cigarettes. High concentrations of nicotine can lead to nicotine toxicity, which can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, changes in heart rate, seizures and, in severe cases, death. According to the 2026 CISDUS, 79% of students who vaped in the past year reported using a device containing nicotine.

Even when vapes don’t contain nicotine, the e-liquids that are heated contain other chemicals, some of which are known to be harmful. One, diacetyl — a chemical used for flavouring — is linked to a condition called 'popcorn lung', which causes scarring and obstruction in the lungs; another, Vitamin E acetate, was found to be associated with EVALI, the vaping-associated lung injury that hospitalised thousands in 2019.

Additionally, the heated coils may expose users to heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead, and in rare cases, faulty lithium batteries have exploded, causing injuries and burns.

The 2026 CISDUS found that 34% of students reported using vape products that contain cannabis (THC). Among students who have vaped in the past year, 39% reported using both a nicotine and cannabis vaping product over the past 12 months. This suggests there is notable co-use of nicotine and cannabis vaping products, meaning both types of products were used by students within a similar time frame.

Talking to Teens About Vaping

The NDC encourages parents to have open and honest conversations about these products, whether you believe your child is vaping or not. Adolescent brains are hard-wired to take risks, so you may not be able to stop your teen from trying vaping, but you can talk to them to ensure that if they do, they do so knowing the facts. Talking about vaping need not be confrontational; try to make it a two-way conversation rather than a lecture. Find out what they know about the risks and fill them in on the details they don’t know, emphasising how much is still unknown.

Look for openings — such as when you see someone on the street or on TV vaping — to ask them if they have tried it and start a dialogue. It may be more effective to have the conversation over time, in small chunks, so that it remains an open and ongoing discussion.

The US Surgeon General has a website (https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov) dedicated to vaping among teens that includes tips and fact sheets that suggest approaches to opening a discussion and help equip parents with the right information.

Getting Professional Help

It was thought that treatment for a vaping addiction would be considered the same as nicotine addiction from traditional smoking, however it is no longer clear whether the same would apply. Your GP may be your first port of call, but sadly there are no vaping cessation treatment programmes on the Island for either adults or teens at the moment.