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(FOX 2) - If you have any teenagers in your life, they may say vaping is better for them than cigarettes.
Dr. Daniel Ouellette, a pulmonologist with Henry Ford Health System, says experts think, among high school students, that 1 in 5 has used an e-cigarette. That's 20 percent, and it's a big growth compared to the numbers in the past few years.
"I think it's attractive to kids because it's convenient, it's not about smoking, and all of those flavors are really appealing," he says.
When a teen vapes, a substantial amount of nicotine is still going into their body.
"In a cartridge for the e-cigarettes, as much as 5% of that cartridge contains nicotine - which is as much nicotine as there is in a pack of cigarettes," he says. "That's a lot."
He warns e-cigarettes can cause someone to become addicted to smoking. In addition, there's problems with combustion products and the devices can even be flammable and burn, because of the heating device within them.
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Bottom line: we really don't know all the harmful, long-term effects of vaping yet, as studies are still being done. The takeaway is that if a teen in your life is vaping, make sure they know there are still risks involved and it's not a safe pastime.