Vaping

If you thought vapes were nothing more than water vapor, you’re not going to like hearing this. Not only do vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, but they contain numerous chemicals that were never meant to be inhaled. While many of the long-term affects of vaping are still being studied, we’re already seeing patients present with serious scarring to their lungs as a result of vaping. 

In younger patients, vaping has been linked to worsening memory, impaired brain development and impulse control and struggles focusing due to the lasting impacts of nicotine.  

Dr. Sadaf Sohrab is a pulmonologist at Mercy and teaches medical and high school students about the risks and impacts of smoking and vaping. To hear what worries her most about vaping, watch the video above.

"As a physician, I believe that we all have a collective responsibility. A collective responsibility to educate ourselves and to know about vaping, to know about smoking, because that is what leads to prevention. And prevention is what leads to a healthy community. And here at Mercy, the most important thing to us is for you to have a long and healthy life."

Business Takeaway:
Vaping is an emerging workforce risk that many organizations are still underestimating. Nicotine addiction can impact focus, increase dependency and contribute to long-term health complications that drive higher healthcare costs. For employers, addressing vaping through education and prevention is an opportunity to protect workforce health, reduce future risk and support a more focused, productive team.