Vaping is the inhaling of a vapor created by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or other vaping device.
E-cigarettes are battery-powered smoking devices. They have cartridges filled with a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and chemicals. The liquid is heated into a vapor, which the person inhales. That's why using e-cigarettes is called "vaping."
Vaping hasn't been around long enough for us to know how it affects the body over time. But health experts are reporting serious lung damage in people who vape, including some deaths.
Vaping puts nicotine into the body. Nicotine is highly addictive and can:
E-cigarettes also:
Some people use e-cigarettes to vape marijuana, THC oil, and other dangerous chemicals. Besides irritating the lungs, these drugs also affect how someone thinks, acts, and feels.
There are different kinds of e-cigarettes. But many people use the Juul. This e-cigarette looks like a flash drive and can be charged in a laptop's USB port. It makes less smoke than other e-cigarettes, so some teens use them to vape at home and in school. The Juul pod's nicotine levels are the same as in a full pack of cigarettes.
Even if someone doesn't vape every day, they can still get addicted. How quickly someone gets addicted varies. Some people get addicted even if they don't vape every day.
Most e-cigarettes do have nicotine. Even e-cigarettes that don't have nicotine have chemicals in them. These chemicals can irritate and damage the lungs. The long-term effects of e-cigarettes that don't have nicotine are not known.
People who vape need the right motivation to quit. Wanting to be the best, healthiest version of themselves is an important reason to quit vaping. Here are some others:
Unknown health effects: The long-term health consequences of vaping are not known. Recent studies report serious lung damage in people who vape, and even some deaths.
Addiction: Addiction in the growing brain may set up pathways for later addiction to other substances.
Brain risks: Nicotine affects brain development in kids and teens. This can make it harder to learn and concentrate. Some of the brain changes are permanent and can affect mood and impulse control later in life.
Use of other tobacco products: Studies show that vaping makes it more likely that someone will try other tobacco products, like regular cigarettes, cigars, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco.
Toxins (poisons): The vapor made from e-cigarettes is not made of water. The vapor contains harmful chemicals and very fine particles that are inhaled into the lungs and exhaled into the environment.
Sports:To do their best in sports. Vaping may lead to lung inflammation (irritation).
Money: Vaping is expensive! The cost of the cartridges over time starts to add up. Instead, someone could spend that money on other things that they need or enjoy.
To go against tobacco company advertising: Many e-cigarettes are made by the same companies that produce regular cigarettes. Their marketing targets young people by making fun flavors for e-cigarettes and showing young, healthy people vaping. They are trying to make kids and teens of today into their new, lifetime customers.
For kids and teens who want to quit, it can help to:
The signs of withdrawal are strongest in the first few days after stopping. They get better over the following days and weeks.
To help kids understand the risks of vaping and take control of their health, you can:
Talk to your kids about the reports of serious lung damage, and even deaths, in people who vape. Call your doctor right away if your child or teen vapes and has:
Reviewed by: Lonna P. Gordon, MD
Date Reviewed: 09-09-2019