Vaping teens are using e-cigarettes for ‘dripping’

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT — A Yale study has found that one in four teens have tried an alternative vaping technique which health experts warn is potentially dangerous.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the study was conducted by a team from the Yale University School of Medicine. It surveyed 7,045 Connecticut high school students, and found that 1,080 had used e-cigarettes. Of those students, 26 percent had reportedly tried a hack known as “dripping.”

E-cigarettes are typically equipped with a refillable cartridge, which feeds liquid to a heating coil to create inhalable vapor. With dripping, the cartridge is discarded, and drops of e-liquid are applied directly onto the heating coils or atomizer.

The technique reportedly produces a stronger hit and thicker smoke. Users can more conveniently switch flavors, and even customize or rebuild their coils.

Researchers have found though, that higher coil temperatures associated with dripping emit more harmful chemicals. E-liquid spillage also poses a concern, since it often contains nicotine that is more easily absorbed through the skin. Enough skin contact exposes the user to toxic levels of the addictive substance, according to CNN.

Due to the many health concerns regarding vaping, the FDA has decided to regulate e-cigarettes the same way it does conventional tobacco products, though the new rules have yet to be released.