Why do Hanseatic students vape? Because it is trendy and because it tastes good. But also because nicotine the mother of all addictions is, says the expert.
moon (20) does not smoke. “I don’t like the taste,” says the self-employed fine arts student. “But I vape occasionally, especially when I’m drinking. Now I have a watermelon flavored vape. I use it when I’m with people or when I get home. ‘
The vaporizers are inside. “We mainly sell more and more vaporizers to students,” says the seller Gijs de Vries van Limbo liquids. Flavored vaporizers are very popular.
But why do students really vape? And especially now that there are more and more voices against vaping?
From January 1, 2023, the government wants to ban flavored electronic cigarettes. Medical epidemiologist Ester Croes from the Trimbo Institute specializes in tobacco control. He suspects the upcoming ban will make vaping much less attractive. ‘This is especially true for young people who have not yet started vaping. But for people who are already addicted, it is not easy to quit.’
Even though it’s not allowed, you can vape anywhere, you won’t be called, and vaporizers don’t smell bad either
Design-student Maurizio (24) was first a “heavy dirty smoker”, as he calls it himself. He’s been vaping for six months now. ‘When I walked in lactic she was dancing, a friend offered me her vaporizer. Super nice, because I could keep dancing. So I gradually started vaping. ‘
In more and more places, it is difficult for people to smoke. Vaping is more accessible. “It’s easier to vape in public spaces,” says Esther Croes. ‘Under the law it is not allowed to vape where smoking is not allowed, but in practice it seems that you are less likely to be held accountable. It also doesn’t smell like tobacco. It is quite easy to use all day vaping. ‘
“I don’t buy vaporizers, they smell too clean, I don’t want to risk using them in my room all day”
Most people smoke shag on Minerva, says Luna. She started vaping because some of her colleagues are doing it. She doesn’t care about the consequences. “I have no problem with it, so I don’t notice it has anything to do with my health.”
All his friends smoke, but a design student Abel (19) prefers not to take risks. ‘Through family history, I believe. He just never seemed so attractive to me. I’m one of the few who don’t smoke or vape. ‘
Self-employed student of visual arts Module (19) knows many fellow students who are addicted to vaping. But among the members of his student association Dizkartes, vaping is even more popular. She herself only smokes other people’s vaporizers while she goes out. “For self-protection,” she says, “I don’t buy a vape because it looks too clean. Then I run the risk of using it in my room all day. But I think it’s healthier than smoking. ‘
‘The tobacco industry framed vape as a output product with which you get rid of the tobacco, but it is a step by step product‘
It’s right? Is vaping less bad for your health than smoking? Tobacco addiction expert Esther Croes thinks that’s the wrong question. “You shouldn’t compare these things. The Trimbos sees vape as a springboard, first vape and then move on to tobacco. The tobacco industry framed vaping as an exit product, as a means of getting rid of tobacco. ‘ But, he warns, vaporizers still contain nicotine, the addictive substance. “It’s even easier to inhale with vaporizers than with regular cigarettes.”
Is there less nicotine in the vape or more?
Maurits is one of the vapers who thinks vaping can help him quit smoking. ‘I want to quit smoking first, then vape. I think it is easier to stop vaping. I think there is less nicotine in a vape. ‘
“I thought I heard that there is actually more nicotine,” says a self-employed fine arts student Roos (19). “I think vaping is more unhealthy than smoking, but I don’t really know.”
It’s simple, explains Esther Croes, it just depends on the amount of nicotine and how often you use the drug. “You actually get everything that is in a vape, the nicotine and all the other substances that are in it.”
Research shows that people who don’t smoke, but who vape, can develop symptoms of cardiovascular disease. Of course, little can be said about the long-term consequences, vaping is too short for that. “We know there are carcinogens in vaporizers,” says Croes. ‘And the flavors may not be harmful in the gastrointestinal tract, but it is not yet known what they do in the lungs. In any case, we are concerned about it. A notorious example is the flavor of butter in popcorn vape. It causes severe damage to the lungs. The vapers died for that. ‘
Addiction expert Esther Croes: “Promoting addiction is immoral”
Student of International Design Martino (23) from Bulgaria has already noticed that vaping is very bad. “I started to be able to do tricks like making circles, the tornado and … Jellyfish. ‘ When he noticed that his lungs hurt, he stopped vaping. He usually smokes the IQOS. According to Martin, he is healthier than vaping and smoking. IQOS is similar to an electronic cigarette, but with a tobacco stick. Much less tobacco passes through here than with a real cigarette, he says. “In Bulgaria they already did it in 2015, but you hardly see anyone doing it here.”
It is mainly the nicotine in combination with the flavors that Esther Croes is about. “Your brain is developing until the age of twenty-four. Nicotine ensures that some connections in the brain are not made properly. This can lead to anxiety, depression, impulsive behavior, and problems with concentration. Also, nicotine becomes the mother of all addictions named. I think it is immoral to deliberately make young people addicted to nicotine by packaging it in trendy products with tasty flavors. ‘
