Up in Smoke: Researcher warns of new 'smart vapes' that combine vaping, games, social media

FOX 35 Investigates: New vapes mixing games, tobacco

Experts are warning parents about new "smart vapes" that combine games and other interactive features to the tobacco devices. Others now have the capacity for up to 30,000 "puffs," down from 300 that original vapes had.

A California researcher is warning parents about the next wave of vape devices – "smart vapes" – that have games and some that can connect to social media, which may appear enticing or interactive for young people.

"Some of them can even give you push notifications from social media," said Man Wong, a research assistant at the University of California Riverside. "So, it's gone kind of a little bit crazy."

He studies vape-related diseases and vape device trends that could appeal to teens. Wong said there are a lot of them, and showed FOX 35 several vapes on the market with various features.

"When you draw aerosol from the device, the screen lights up and has different colors," said Wong during one demonstration. Another allows users to change the digital wallpaper.

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

Both the CDC and FDA recently reported a 25-year low in teen tobacco use. Though, Wong worries that the fancier and more high-tech vapes get, the harder it may be to keep that number low, especially for teens growing up in the digital age.

FOX 35 Deep Dive | "Smart vapes" combine vaping, gaming

FOX 35's Randi Hildreth joined FOX 35 News+ to go in depth about the hidden secret of smart vapes, and why researchers say the technological twist in the trend is especially concerning for young people.

"These tiny features, might not seem like too big of a deal. But, it's definitely things that can reinforce the use of the devices," said Wong.

And these devices are more powerful, he said.

Some of the first generation of vapes were built for a total of 300 puffs. New vapes on the market can handle upwards of 20,000-30,000 puffs.

"When you do increase the wattage, you increase the concentration of dangerous chemicals," said Wong.

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Jaylon Robinson has now spent one full year clean. He smashed his last vape on Feb. 1, 2023. It’s been a long year, but he’s come a long way.

According to the CDC, no version of an e-cigarette or vape is safe. Both contain nicotine, which is addictive, and the aerosol that gets breathed has "cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into lungs."

Unlike traditional cigarettes, vapes and e-cigs can be hidden better. They don't contain the typical smell of tobacco that traditional cigarettes do, according to the American Lung Association.

Here are signs for parents to watch for: