By Dr. Jerry Simon, M.D.
June 14 2026 | Health
It has become the quintessential accessory at many parties, fetes, and rooftop gatherings. What was once a cloud of cigarette smoke has been replaced by sweet-scented vapor, glowing pods, and sleek devices that look more like tech gadgets than nicotine delivery systems. We are talking about vaping, the Bougie Cigarette.
Vaping is the act of inhaling aerosol (the vapour) produced by an electronic device (an e-cigarette or vape pen) that heats a liquid containing nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals. It is ever gaining in popularity among people who think it is cooler, safer and more acceptable than traditional tobacco cigarettes. But is it?
Over the past several years, there has been a troubling trend: teens, young adults, and specifically women are gravitating to vaping at alarming rates. While cigarette use has hit record lows among these demographics, vaping has filled the void, not as a cessation tool, but as a lifestyle.
The biggest myth we need to dispel today is that vaping is a “safe alternative” to smoking. It is not. While it may lack tar and carbon monoxide, vape aerosol contains heavy metals like lead, volatile organic compounds, and ultra-fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs. For a developing teen brain or a young woman’s reproductive system, the high nicotine concentration disrupts impulse control, memory, and mood regulation. The heavy metals and other compounds can contribute to cancer and other damage to various organs, including the lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys.
Here is what we hear at parties: it is just flavoured air or it is better than cigarettes. But the truth is, most young users were never smokers to begin with.
You aren’t switching, you are starting. And you are getting hooked on a product designed to deliver nicotine faster than a cigarette, without the harsh cough to warn you. Because of the high concentration of nicotine, vaping can be very addictive and we are seeing increased rates of heart disease in young people who vape.
Among women, marketing has shifted toward “wellness” and “self-care” – lavender-infused pods and pastel devices. But there is nothing healthy about a drug that makes your heart race and your lungs inflamed. At the fete, it’s fashionable to exhale a large cloud. It looks cool, feels social, and pairs perfectly with a drink. But let’s call it what it is: recreational drug use, normalized by slick branding.
Parents, talk to your teens. Young adults, ask why you started. Women, don’t be fooled by pretty packaging. Vaping is not freedom from smoking. It is a new cage, disguised as a party favour. Let’s put down the pods and breathe clean air, before the long-term effects catch up to us.
Dr. Simon can be contacted at NSA Medical Centre at (268) 462-0631 or (268) 779-2176.
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