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Up in Smoke: Researcher warns of new ‘smart vapes’ that combine vaping, gaming and social media

Umito November 19, 2024

FOX 35 investigates: New vapes mixing games, tobacco

Experts are warning parents about new “smart vapes” that combine games and other interactive features with tobacco devices. Others now have a capacity of 30,000 “puffs”, compared to 300 that the original vapes had.

A California researcher is warning parents about the next wave of vaping devices — “smart vapes” — that have games and some that can connect to social media, which may seem engaging or interactive to young people.

“Some of them can even send you push notifications from social media,” said Man Wong, a research assistant at the University of California Riverside. “So it got a little crazy.”

He studies vaping-related illnesses and trends in vaping devices that might appeal to teens. Wong said there are many and showed FOX 35 several vapes on the market with various features.

“When you draw an aerosol from the device, the screen lights up and shows different colors,” Wong explained during a demonstration. Another allows users to change the digital wallpaper.

“It even has a location setting that can vibrate,” he said.

The CDC and FDA recently reported the lowest rate of adolescent tobacco use in 25 years. However, Wong worries that the more sophisticated and high-tech vapes become, the harder it may be to keep that number low, especially for teens growing up in the digital age.

Deep Diving FOX 35 | “Smart vapes” combine vaping and gaming

FOX 35’s Randi Hildreth joined FOX 35 News+ to dig deeper into the hidden secret behind smart vapes and explain why researchers say the trend’s technological spin is especially concerning for young people.

“These small features may not seem like too much. But they are definitely things that can boost device usage,” Wong said.

And these devices are more powerful, he says.

Some of the first generation vapes were built for a total of 300 puffs. Newer vapes on the market can handle between 20,000 and 30,000 puffs.

“When you increase the power, you increase the concentration of dangerous chemicals,” Wong said.

Florida Teen Quits Vaping After Long Trip

Jaylon Robinson has now completed a full year of sobriety. He vaped his last vape on February 1, 2023. It’s been a long year, but he’s come a long way.

According to the CDCno e-cigarette or vape version is safe. Both contain nicotine, which is addictive, and the aerosol that is breathed in contains “cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.”

Unlike traditional cigarettes, vapes and e-cigs can be hidden better. According to the American Lung Association, they do not contain the typical tobacco odor that traditional cigarettes give off.

Here are the signs parents should watch for: