Have you heard about the new generation of "smart vapes"—electronic nicotine devices that go beyond delivering nicotine and are packaged with features making them gadgets aimed at young people?

Smart Vapes alectronic nicotine devices that go beyond delivering nicotine. They are packaged with features making them gadgets aimed at young people.

Smart vapes include built-in video games, music players, phone-like interfaces, fitness tracking, social media notifications, and other interactive features.

May I first summarize what FoolProof thinks about this vape development:
Are you kidding me?! Why would you hurt yourself double as much!

First, What Are "Smart Vapes"?

Smart vapes are e-cigarettes or vaping devices that incorporate:

• Retro or arcade video games (like Tetris or Pac-Man) playable on the vape.
• Features found in smartphones or wearable tech: Bluetooth connectivity, social media or call/text notifications, music players, customizable wallpapers or lighting, etc.
• Tactics that gamify nicotine intake, such as rewarding puffs with points or prizes. Yikes!
• Flavorings (fruity, sweet, candy-like) and designs that appeal visually to youth.

Why Are Smart Vapes So Especially Risky?

Ugh, where to start...

1) There are the obvious health risks:

• Nicotine harms brain development in youths—affecting memory, attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
• Vaping can also expose users to lung irritants, chemicals whose long-term effects are not fully known.
• Potential for increased use as these devices encourage frequent "puffs" or extended sessions. We'll get to that…

2) Make it worse: smart vapes are blurring the lines.

These devices often look more like toys, game consoles, or phones than traditional vapes. That disguise can hide the true nature of the product from parents, teachers, or even users themselves. Young people may not recognize they are nicotine delivery devices at first.

3) Smart vapes use compound reinforcements (Nicotine + Game Rewards)

Nicotine is already highly addictive. When using it paired with game rewards or interactive feedback (points, prizes, achievements), the brain's reward system gets multiple stimuli. That "feedback loop" can accelerate addiction, making it harder or even impossible to quit.

4) Appeal to Youth Behavior

Young people are often drawn to games, screen time, gamified social interactions, and trends. Smart vapes are designed to abuse those interests! The combination of sweet flavors, appealing design, interactivity, and social media presence increases their attractiveness to (underage) users.

5) Regulatory Loopholes & Enforcement Weaknesses

Some of these devices are being sold online with inadequate age verification. Others are marketed in ways that may violate laws or guidelines (resembling phones or toys, offering flavors that attract youth, using youth-friendly branding) and enforcement is patchy.

Regulators, researchers, and public health advocates are sounding the alarm on "smart vapes," with the FDA issuing warnings, academics documenting risks, and advocates pushing for stricter rules and awareness efforts. But needless to say, they're out there, and they're seriously damaging our youths.

How Do You Recognize Smart Vapes?

If you are a parent, teen, or educator, here are warning signs that a vape might be more than just nicotine:

• The device resembles or imitates a smartphone, gaming console, toy, or digital music device.

• Unlike regular vapes, smart vapes have music playback, phone/call/text notifications, Bluetooth, or customization of appearance.

• It has visible screen with games, graphics, animations, or reward mechanisms tied to vaping behavior.

• Be mindful of marketing (to your kids) via social media influencers, unboxing videos, or design focusing on looks over warnings.

• Smart vapes have a low price but a high puff count—manufacturers often advertise puff counts (e.g., 600 puffs, 2,000 puffs) as a selling point, similar to how battery life is advertised for gadgets. A higher puff count means the device can last longer, but it also means a single vape can expose a user—especially a young person—to much more nicotine than traditional cigarettes or smaller e-cigs.

Double the Disaster: What Should You Do?

• Talk openly: Educate children and teens about what smart vapes are and how they work; let them know about the risks—not just of nicotine, but of how these interactive features can increase usage.

• Be alert: Monitor for these devices at home, in schools, in peer groups, and online.

• Set restrictions: This is a real gray and tricky area, but you may not be able or capable to forbid your child the use of (smart) vapes. You certainly don't want to scare of your kid and have them vape secretly! If you must, set restrictions for usage, just like with limited screen time.

• Seek help: If someone is already vaping, especially a teenager, offer support and resources to quit, like through SmokeFreeTeen.gov. Or talk to a (school) counselor or (professional for help.

Smart vapes are more than a harmful nicotine product—they are a melding of technology, design, and psychology crafted to appeal to youth. What might look like harmless gadgets can become powerful tools for addiction. It's crucial to see through the hype, stay informed, and act to protect our youths (let alone other adults around you).