People only just realising the surprising link between vaping and mental health

Vaping is a huge trend right now and the implications that it can have on your mental health are significant.

According to Action on Smoking and Health, 4.7 million Brits vaped in 2023, and the figure keeps growing. This means that Britons are puffing away, without even thinking about what it’s really doing to their health.

And while we all know that nicotine isn’t good for your physical body, what about your mental health?

According to Millie Gooch, MSc mental health and addiction ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, she posted a range of ways in which vaping harms us mentally on a post to Instagram.

She began: “When we hear warnings about vaping, the focus is usually on the physical risks. Lung damage, potential toxins, nicotine addiction etc- it’s all about what vaping does to your body."

Gooch added: "But what we don’t talk enough about is what it does to your mind-and research suggests the mental health impact is also pretty serious."

According to a study published to the Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspective, E-cigarette adolescents are more likely to have mental health problems such as depression and suicidality.

It was also found that females develop higher adverse effects on mental health as a result of vaping.

This could be because 'the way that nicotine alters brain chemistry'.

Gooch explained that 'over time, nicotine disrupts the brain’s natural production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which play critical roles in mood regulation'.

She added: "As a result, individuals may feel more anxious or depressed when they’re not vaping- creating a vicious cycle of using nicotine to believe the very symptoms it may be causing."

Because of this relationship, she predicts that people begin vaping as a way to combat depression, but are instead making things worse and not better.

They then enter an unhealthy cycle where they become reliant on vaping in order to feel good, instead of quitting altogether.

She highlighted that the ‘human brain continues developing until around age 25, and nicotine exposure during this time can interfere with critical processes related to decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation’.

Not only does it interfere with mood regulators, but also your sleep.

We all know that a good night of kip is what prepares us for the day ahead, and it also allows the body and brain to carry out essential work on ourselves, but vaping can negatively impact this.

Gooch shared: "Nicotine is a stimulant, meaning it can interfere with your ability to relax and sleep. Poor sleep is closely tied to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.

"Over time, the cognitive impairment caused by disrupted sleep- combined with the effects of nicotine withdrawal- can significantly impact focus, memory, and overall well-being."

This was also backed up by a 2021 student study too.

Now, mental health can also be affected indirectly by vaping. Whether it’s financial strain due to the cost of buying them and the liquid, feeling shame about not being able to quit, or using it as a coping mechanism, it’s harmful to continue to do.

So, will quitting the vape help?

According to one commenter, she is a living testament to quitting.

She wrote: "I can attest to allll of this! as someone who quit vaping and alcohol in the last year, I cannot tell people enough about the shift in my mental health, it’s incredible!

"We are fed such lies from big alcohol and nicotine and it has to be spoken about more! thank you for this post, these are things I love to see."