A growing phenomenon
It was supposed to be an alternative. A solution to help smokers turn the page on
What was supposed to be a cessation tool has become, for many, a gateway to nicotine addiction.
In high-school classrooms, in cafés, at student parties: the vapoteur is everywhere. Discreet, colorful, flavored, they seem harmless. And yet, the figures speak for themselves: according to a recent European study, almost one in four young people aged 15 to 18 vapors regularly.
Why are electronic cigarettes so appealing to young people?
Sweet flavors that play down nicotine
Strawberry, vanilla, watermelon, cotton candy… Fruity, gourmet flavors create a deceptive effect.
These sweet aromas mask the active substance, nicotine, and insidiously install a consumption behavior.
The gesture becomes a reflex, a social habit, almost a fashion accessory.
Where conventional cigarettes evoked addiction and disease, e-cigarettes are presented as fun, modern and safe.
Digital marketing, particularly on TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, plays a considerable role: aesthetic staging, influencers who “cloud” with style, challenges around vaping… everything is done to trivialize the act of consuming.
Misinformation: a silent danger
Many young people still think that vape does not contain nicotine.
In reality, almost 80% of e-liquids sold in Europe do. And even when they don’t, the repeated gestures and the search for immediate pleasure recreate a dependency pattern comparable to that of tobacco.
This false sense of control is one of the main pitfalls of e-cigarettes.
Some teenagers vapotage “just to try it”… only to find themselves unable to quit a few months later.
The adolescent brain, still developing, is particularly vulnerable to reward stimuli and dopamine release.
In other words: the earlier you start, the higher the risk ofaddiction.
Effects on the body and health
Contrary to popular belief, vaping is not without risk.
Medical studies are beginning to reveal significant physiological effects:
- Respiratory tract irritation, coughing, shortness of breath ;
- Chronic inflammation of the pulmonary system ;
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure;
- Disruption of nicotine-related metabolic function;
- Long-term risks are still poorly understood, but cause for concern.
Nicotine, even when inhaled without combustion, remains a highly addictive substance.
It acts on the central nervous system like a soft drug, altering brain chemistry, behavior and emotions.
Smoking to stop… or to start?
Therein lies the paradox.
Initially conceived as a smoking cessation aid, electronic cigarettes are now being used by young people who have never smoked.
Far from being a prevention tool, they have become a product of discovery, sometimes a springboard to traditional tobacco.
However, the Haut Conseil de la Santé Publique reminds us that while vape can be useful for a supervised adult smoker, it should never be put in the hands of a minor.
The absence of combustion does not mean the absence of risks, nor the absence of dependence.
The role of parents and education
Given this situation, parents have a key role to play.
It’s not about making people feel guilty, it’s about dialogue.
Understanding why a teenager starts vaping often reveals stress, a need to belong or a search for identity.
👉 Talking about addictions without judging, explaining the consequences on health and the brain, and proposing positive alternatives, are powerful levers for preventing addiction.
Schools and health professionals can also help to raise awareness, provided they approach the subject with kindness and education, rather than fear.
What if we helped young people to free themselves in a different way?
Faced with the rise of vaping, natural, non-medicated solutions are emerging to help young (and not-so-young) people gradually reduce their nicotine consumption.
These include laser auricular reflexology, practised in the MyLaserTabac centers, has established itself as an innovative and gentle approach.
MyLaserTabac: a natural way to regain your balance
Laser ear reflexology acts on precise points in the ear corresponding to stress, pleasure and addiction management zones.
Thanks to a painless cold laser, this stimulation rebalances the nervous system and soothes nicotine cravings.
In concrete terms, the MyLaserTabac method allows you to :
- Reduce nicotine cravings,
- Ease the stress associated with quitting vaping,
- Reduce compulsive behavior,
- And regain lasting emotional balance.
This technique, derived from alternative medicine, is non-invasive, natural and effective.
It is suitable for both smokers and vapoteurs wishing to detach themselves from the gesture and psychological dependence.
Towards a more aware generation
Today’s young people are not just consumers: they are informed citizens, sensitive to their well-being, health andecology.
Giving them the means to understand their behavior and make informed choices means offering them real freedom.
The point is not to demonize e-cigarettes, but to understand their limits.
Yes, they can help some adults quit smoking.
But they must not become the new norm for young people.
Conclusion: inform, prevent, support
Addiction to electronic cigarettes is not inevitable.
With better information, caring education, and natural solutions like
laser ear reflexology MyLaserTabac
laser ear reflexology, it’s possible to prevent addiction and help young people achieve healthy autonomy.
The real challenge is not to condemn, but toraise awareness.
What if the key to change was not fear of danger, but the desire to live better?
