By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here
You or your teenage kids may be into heavy metal, like Black Sabbath, Metallica and Iron Maiden, but no one should be into inhaling heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, for example). Unfortunately, a study published in the journal Central Science found that those toxins are in the mist of many vapes. In fact, the researchers said that they found, "such high levels of heavy metals that one researcher thought their machine had malfunctioned."
That just adds new risks to previous findings that vaping can release carcinogens, like formaldehyde and lead, that you breathe in -- and that it leads to chronic inflammation of your lungs and airways. Nicotine in vapes is also addictive (duh!) and that can damage the developing brain of younger folks (like guys under age 25). Nearly 8% of high school students reported vaping in the last month in a 2024 survey -- and while it's wonderfully lower than the 27% who said they'd vaped in 2019, it's still too many. Plus, about 20% to 24% of people ages 19 to 26 reported they'd vaped in the past month.
It's really important to let your kids know how much damage they're doing to their future health by vaping. And if you're a vaper, Mom or Dad, do yourself -- and your kids -- a favor by quitting.
For help overcoming a nicotine addiction or a non-addicted vaping habit (it happens), reach out to smokefree.gov and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Quitting and Vaping" page at cdc.gov. And keep an eye out for the upcoming longevity coaching program at LongevityPlaybook.com.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.longevityplaybook.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at [email protected].