# Is there any reason children shouldn't be allowed to vape nicotine-free juice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809 "2014-08-18T05:48:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PorchePine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@PorchePine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PorchePine)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/21 "2014-08-18T18:34:17Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Do you also need a cite to prove ice is cold? :dubious: I’m with psychobunny here. What makes inhaling a hodgpudge of artificial chemicals and nicotine inherently healthier than inhaling smoke and nicotine. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/22 "2014-08-18T19:55:09Z")
Fewer ancillary effects, like burning down your house? ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/23 "2014-08-18T20:08:16Z")
Is there a secular equivalent of [marit ayin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marit_ayin)? ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/24 "2014-08-18T21:39:39Z")
No, there’s no reason. I’m sure it will be eventually banned anyway. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/25 "2014-08-19T00:14:30Z")
So those who cannot provide a cite that vaping is safer than smoking a cigarette are basing your opinions on what? I will give you that there is less tar which will decrease many of the toxic effects of smoking and that therefore those side effects will be lessened. Let me give you just one example of a prior effort to make smoking safer. These [filters](http://www.asbestos.com/products/general/cigarette-filters.php) removed 30% of the harmful products of smoking. That must have been a great health benefit, right? It was certainly [marketed](http://blogs.infobae.com/maldita-nicotina/2013/06/12/la-gran-estafa-de-los-cigarrillos-light/kent/) as a healthier way to smoke. Funny, it turned out that the addition of asbestos to cigarette filters caused more deaths than it prevented. Now, if you want me to believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking, just prove it with a cite. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/26 "2014-08-19T00:47:31Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > So those who cannot provide a cite that vaping is safer than smoking a cigarette are basing your opinions on what? I will give you that there is less tar which will decrease many of the toxic effects of smoking and that therefore those side effects will be lessened. > > Let me give you just one example of a prior effort to make smoking safer. These [filters](http://www.asbestos.com/products/general/cigarette-filters.php) removed 30% of the harmful products of smoking. That must have been a great health benefit, right? It was certainly [marketed](http://blogs.infobae.com/maldita-nicotina/2013/06/12/la-gran-estafa-de-los-cigarrillos-light/kent/) as a healthier way to smoke. Funny, it turned out that the addition of asbestos to cigarette filters caused more deaths than it prevented. > > Now, if you want me to believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking, just prove it with a cite. [Webmd leans towards safer.](http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/electronic-cigarettes) [The FDA says they ARE safer.](http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-fda-says-e-cigarettes-are-less-harmful-than-smoking) That took me all of five seconds to Google. ---
**Author:** ![PorchePine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@PorchePine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PorchePine)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/27 "2014-08-19T01:05:19Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > [Webmd leans towards safer.](http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/electronic-cigarettes) > > [The FDA says they ARE safer.](http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-fda-says-e-cigarettes-are-less-harmful-than-smoking) First cite: > [@](#): > > Electronic cigarettes: Are they safer than tobacco? Or are they a high-tech way to hook a new generation on a bad nicotine habit? > > Nobody knows yet. … > [@](#): > > “E-cigarettes may be less harmful than cigarettes,” Drummond says. “But we still don’t know enough about their long-term risks or the effects of secondhand exposure.” Seems like that’s not saying they’re safer. For your second “cite”, it contains one line taken out of context. If you go to the real FDA website, there’s no claims that they’re safer. > [@](#): > > That took me all of five seconds to Google. It’s the job of people making claims to back it up. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to google. It’s not my job to do your research for you. (Although maybe I should have, since your citations didn’t actually back up your claim.) ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/28 "2014-08-19T01:12:11Z")
From the above link: > [@](#): > > The government’s chief tobacco regulator told Congress today that _ **e-cigarettes are almost certainly healthier than tobacco** _, that much more research needs to be done, but that it needs to regulate them now anyway. Almost certainly does not mean definitely. Let me just say that I do think that they will be shown to be safer than regular cigarettes and that I have personally recommended them to patients as an alternative to smoking with a caveat that definitive studies have not been done. However, that does not mean that they are in any way shape or form safe, or that they will not be proven harmful in the future after actual studies are done. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/29 "2014-08-19T01:50:14Z")
There is no hodge podge of chemicals, again the vape juice is a mixture of propylene glycol(which is used in food, pharmaceuticals even injectible pharmaceuticals that go in your veins) and vegetable glycerin(again used in food and pharms) and food grade flavorings and food colors and nicotine. There is no concern about anything but the nicotine, and there the concern mostly seems of the puritanical “addiction” angle and think of the children. If you have a specific concern about one of those then post it, otherwise you have to conclude it is better for your lungs then inhaling SMOKE, carbon dioxide/monoxide, the real hodgepodge of chemicals used to condition tobacco, tar, the list goes on. In one you are inhaling a vapor containing nicotine, and in the other you’re inhaling smoke from burning paper and plant matter. Come on. BTW:If the flavorings and colorings make you nervous you can get plain unflavored vape juice with just PG/VG/nicotine. Heck you can make your own at home from pharmaceutical grade ingredients, their are guides all over the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/30 "2014-08-19T01:51:54Z")
> [@PorchePine](#): > > First cite: > > … > > Seems like that’s not saying they’re safer. > For your second “cite”, it contains one line taken out of context. > > It’s the job of people making claims to back it up. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to google. It’s not my job to do your research for you. > > (Although maybe I should have, since your citations didn’t actually back up your claim.) Here’s the whole paragraph: > [@](#): > > So far, evidence suggests that e-cigarettes may be safer than regular cigarettes. **The biggest danger from tobacco is the smoke, and e-cigarettes don’t burn. Tests show the levels of dangerous chemicals they give off are a fraction of what you’d get from a real cigarette.** But what’s in them can vary. So far, the only real debate her is the harmful effects of nicotine itself. The actual inhaling of smoke vs vapor, there is no argument to be had. Ecigs are _safer_ than real cigs. Does that mean they’re harmless? Of course not. ---
**Author:** ![Nauplius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nauplius/32/51_2.png) [@Nauplius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nauplius)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/31 "2014-08-19T16:02:38Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Is there any reason we should be preventing children from using nicotine-free liquid in a vape device? Assuming it’s proven to present zero harm to them. > > I can’t think of one. Can you? [One reason not to allow children to use them.](http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/04/e-cigarettes-explode-fda-timeline) ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/32 "2014-08-19T16:53:05Z")
Assuming that we do allow the kids to spend gramma’s birthday money on a tin cigarette and some juice, what are they going to be getting out of it? I thought there were basically three reasons to vape: Nicotine delivery for its own sake; nicotine delivery to quit smoking; and something for habituated smokers to go through the motions with. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/33 "2014-08-19T17:03:22Z")
[There’s the cuteness factor. . .](http://www.nationalturk.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/smoking-baby-indonesia.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/34 "2014-08-19T19:38:59Z")
> [@grude](#): > > There is no hodge podge of chemicals, again the vape juice is a mixture of propylene glycol(which is used in food, pharmaceuticals even injectible pharmaceuticals that go in your veins) and vegetable glycerin(again used in food and pharms) and food grade flavorings and food colors and nicotine. > > There is no concern about anything but the nicotine, and there the concern mostly seems of the puritanical “addiction” angle and think of the children… Because these things are safe to eat, or even inject, doesn’t necessarily mean they are safe to inhale. ---
**Author:** ![oliviamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@oliviamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliviamia)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/35 "2014-10-14T19:34:17Z")
I don’t think it’s a good idea ( the parents will be paying for it ! ) Children don’t even play outside any more ! Just another thing they can do while getting fat on chips playing computer games ! ---
**Author:** ![Wisp00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@Wisp00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisp00)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/36 "2014-10-14T20:46:30Z")
Whether it is safer than cigerettes is not the point. Safer does not mean zero harm. These things create smoke. I would think inhaling any kind of smoke would have adverse health effects, especially in large, concentrated quantitites. Certainly more research is needed. I am perfectly comfortable with adults choosing to use it, but I would not encourage it in children, nor allow my own child to do so. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/37 "2014-10-14T20:57:52Z")
> [@Wisp00](#): > > Whether it is safer than cigerettes is not the point. Safer does not mean zero harm. > > These things create smoke. I would think inhaling any kind of smoke would have adverse health effects, especially in large, concentrated quantitites. Certainly more research is needed. I am perfectly comfortable with adults choosing to use it, but I would not encourage it in children, nor allow my own child to do so. [Vapor is not smoke](http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-fda-says-e-cigarettes-are-less-harmful-than-smoking). Repeat after me: Vapor is not the same as smoke. They are completely different animals. I’m not in favor of children vaping, not at all. But let’s base our arguments on facts, science and reality, OK? ---
**Author:** ![Wisp00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@Wisp00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisp00)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/38 "2014-10-14T21:01:50Z")
Huh. Okay, I’ve really only seen them used with “herbs”, and that does create smoke. I’ve seen them used from a distance, and it did look like smoke as well, but I guess I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/39 "2014-10-14T21:04:14Z")
> [@Wisp00](#): > > Huh. Okay, I’ve really only seen them used with “herbs”, and that does create smoke. I’ve seen them used from a distance, and it did look like smoke as well, but I guess I was wrong. Yeah, no, it is water vapor. Not smoke. I have no experience with vaping pot; that’s a whole 'nother deal. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809/40 "2014-10-14T22:02:54Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Yeah, no, it is water vapor. Not smoke. It’s not water vapour - because the vape juice is not water. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-children-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-vape-nicotine-free-juice/695809.md?page=3)