Teens and Shisha Pens

Teens have a knack for picking things up that are trendy around the market and shisha pens are no exception. So have you ever heard you teenaged kids talking about a shisha pen? Or how about a hookah pen, hookah stick or e-shisha or vape pens? Vaping is the action of smoking one.

Even though all these devices have varying names, they all are one and the same. Shisha pens are supposed to be convenient, slick, portable, favourable and colorful e-cigarette devices which are becoming extremely fashionable with teens across the globe. Cigarettes are infamous for causing cancer related diseases while drugs are illegal, but nowadays teen are finding new ways to bypass both the unacceptable as well as the unhealthy with using more and more shisha pen.

So the question arises

·         Why are teens so drawn to these shisha pens?

Many shisha pens have zero levels of nicotine in them; not like cigarettes or e-cigarettes, nor do they have tar or tobacco within them. In other words they have been marketed as extremely safe to use. These shisha pens contain flavors with vegetable glycerin, propylene glycerin and simple water; common ingredients that are found in various edibles and other products. 

Moreover, the flavors offered with these shisha pens are very seductive and tempting such as cotton candy, chocolate, energy, bubble gum, berries, mint and Boston crème pie among many others. They are cheap, disposable, and no maintenance or cleaning is required while or after using them.

·         Are these shisha pens safe for teens?

It has been established that compared to cigarettes these shisha pen are very safe and even risk free due to the ingredients in them. Plus they are also being advertised in this way. But keep in mind that there isn’t enough proof if shisha pens are as safe as they state to be, simply because there just isn’t enough data regarding it.

Both propylene glycol and glycerin are known to be very common in food products as well as beauty supplies but, there haven’t been any studies regarding these two products being inhaled in the lungs. As shisha pens have not been there for too long and are relatively a new product in the market, further evidence is still needed to certify their safety.

·         Can it be addictive?

As most shisha pens don’t have nicotine in them, it is highly unlikely that they are addictive but may become a habit. The worry here is that this may lead teenagers to start smoking traditional cigarettes later on. So on the flip side, instead of helping people quit smoking, they might just be encouraging the new generation to start smoking instead.

·         Can anyone purchase a shisha pen?

So far, there are still laws in most areas that state that teens below 18 years of age are not allowed to purchase shisha pens even if they are labeled nicotine and tobacco free. These shisha pens are still categorized as tobacco products in most areas across the globe. And as they are a new product in the market it is still unclear whether they are dangerous or safe to use. Therefore it is still highly debatable whether shisha pens should or should not be sold to teens younger than 18 years of age.

But one thing that has come forward is that these shisha pen are very easy and cheap to purchase. They are being sold on the internet with extremely affordable price tags, and there has already been a huge investment within this industry with celebrities picking up the trend. It should not be a wonder to see many underage youngsters gain easy access to shisha pens.