Indian adolescents’ dangerous lack of knowledge about the perils of vaping has been brought to the fore by a recent survey conducted by the Think Change Forum (TCF). The survey forms part of TCF’s larger initiative “Ideas for an Addiction-Free India.”In a comprehensive survey involving over a thousand students across various metro cities in India, TCF found that a staggering 89% of the adolescents were oblivious to the health risks associated with vaping. An equally alarming finding was that 96% of them were unaware of the fact that vaping is banned in India.A 2020 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that vaping is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of death in India. Despite this, TCF’s survey revealed that more than half of the respondents thought vaping was completely harmless.Reacting to these findings, Sushant Kalra, a known Parenting Coach & TEDx Speaker, emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive education about the dangers of vaping. The TCF survey further highlighted that a disturbing 61% of the adolescents had never heard anything against vaping or similar electronic devices, not even from their parents.Furthermore, a report from the U.S. Surgeon General notes that early exposure to nicotine can have lasting, adverse consequences on brain development. Thus, the survey’s findings call for immediate action from parents, educators, and policymakers to address this dangerous gap in awareness and provide our youth with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health.
