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 puts nicotine into the body. Nicotine is highly addictive and can affect brain development.
Because vaping is new, we don't yet know how it affects the body over time. We do know that the nicotine in e-cigarettes:
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's nicotine levels are similar to a cigarette's.
Even if you don't vape every day, you 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 those that don't do 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.
Wanting to be the best, healthiest version of yourself is an important reason to quit vaping. Others include:
Addiction: Addiction in the growing brain may set up pathways for later addiction to other substances.
Brain risks: Nicotine affects your brain development. This can make it harder to learn and concentrate. Some of the brain changes are permanent and can affect your mood and ability to control your impulses as an adult.
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: You want to do your best in sports, and vaping may lead to lung inflammation (irritation).
Money: Vaping is expensive! The cost of the cartridges over time starts to add up. Instead, you could spend that money on other things you 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're trying to make you into their new, lifetime customer.
Unknown health effects: Many of the long-term health consequences or vaping are not known.
The signs of withdrawal are strongest in the first few days after stopping. They get better over the following days and weeks.
Get ready for feelings, people, and places that make you want to vape. These are called triggers. If possible, avoid places and people that trigger the urge to vape. If you feel the urge to vape, try these things instead:
Now that you understand the risks of vaping, take control of your health. If you're having a hard time quitting, talk to your health care provider about local programs and websites that can help you quit vaping.
Reviewed by: Hillary B. Gordon, MD
Date Reviewed: 04-02-2019
