Vaping can impair brain development in young people, particularly affecting the frontal lobe, and may reduce life expectancy, according to Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud.
Dr Persaud, who is also a medical doctor, made the comments during a session with young people posted on the Ministry’s Facebook page, in which she urged those who vape to reconsider the habit.
“Do you want your brain to stop functioning by next year? So stop vape … if you are vaping it affects your brain development. It affects the frontal lobe of your brain, so when you vape you are reducing your life and you are messing with your brain development,” she said.
During the discussion, Dr Persaud questioned participants on why some young people choose vaping over cigarettes. Students pointed to sweet flavours and the discreet nature of vaping compared with cigarette smoke.
“Smoking and vaping is two different things … say like you smoking a cigarette, anybody can smell it from miles away but .. vaping nobody can smell it,” one participant said.
Dr Persaud asked the young people to research the potential harmful effects of vaping, with one student reading back a list that included coughing, shortness of breath, a fast heart rate, increased blood pressure, nicotine addiction, and feelings of anxiety, restlessness and irritability when not vaping.
The Minister also addressed the pressure young people face to fit in, urging them to weigh whether being popular is worth the potential health risks.
