Photo by Megan Forbes
E-cigarettes. Vaping. Juuling. The puff of white mist that comes from a cool, pen-like device with sweet, rich, and refreshing flavors.
How bad could it be? Everyone’s doing it. It can’t hurt to try it once.
Can it? Let’s talk about the facts.
What are e-cigarettes?
An e-cigarette is an electronic device that can heat special liquids, producing an aerosol that users breathe into their lungs. The liquids, often called e-juice or vape juice, can contain nicotine, marijuana, flavorings, and other drugs and chemicals.
Since the introduction of the modern e-cigarette to the U.S. market in 2007, e-cigarettes have evolved into customizable, sophisticated gadgets. They can look like cigarettes, pens, USB drives, small tanks, and cartridges. They also have many names: e-cigs, vapes, vape pens, tanks, mods, pod-mods, and electronic nicotine delivery systems.
How popular is it?
Quite popular.
In the 2021 National Health Interview Survey, 4.5% of adults in the U.S. reported using e-cigarettes, with the highest use among adults aged 18-24. Of note, adults aged 18-44 were most likely to use e-cigarettes and cigarettes.
What about for youth?
The 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey concluded that 1 in 10 middle and high school students in the United States use tobacco products.
Of the tobacco products, e-cigarettes were the most popular, with 2.13 million students reporting using e-cigarettes.
How would it affect my health?
E-cigarettes were first thought of as “healthier” alternatives to smoking. However, this can be gravely misleading. Vaping can cause wheezing, shortness of breath, and symptoms of bronchitis. It can also lead to pneumonia, collapsed lung, organ damage, addiction, and even death.
Yes, vaping may have fewer unhealthy chemicals compared to burned cigarettes. But it doesn’t mean they are safe. E-cigarettes contain many harmful substances, which may include:
Nicotine – An addicting, habit-forming drug found in as much as 99% of vape products, even those marketed as containing 0% nicotine. Nicotine is the drug that will keep you hooked and coming for more. It can affect your impulse control, attention, learning, and mood. Nicotine can be especially harmful to the adolescent brain, which develops faster than adult brains. Stopping nicotine after routine use can cause nicotine withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, and depression.
Diacetyl – This chemical is the secret to the fun flavors of vaping: fruit, candy, and dessert. It is safe to eat, but not to breathe in. Inhaling diacetyl can cause inflammation of the lungs, leading to scarring, narrowed airways, and respiratory failure.
Vitamin E acetate – Vitamin E acetate has been found in e-liquids that contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a chemical in marijuana. Studies have associated this additive with EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury), a serious disease that often leads to hospitalization and sometimes, death. EVALI can cause chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, high heart rate, fever, chills, and abdominal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Other substances like ultrafine particles, heavy metals, carcinogens, and volatile organic compounds – all of which are inhaled into the lungs and then circulated in the blood.
What’s the bottom line?
E-cigarettes are not safe and have many harmful effects. Trying it even once may cause you to get hooked for a long time. Secondhand vape exposure may also expose harmful substances to people around you, putting them at risk.
There’s more.
Studies have shown that youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to use “real” cigarettes. Furthermore, using the two products together, as many do, can multiply health risks.
How can I learn more?
You can start with the Tobacco Education Resource Library. It has a free resource page dedicated to helping students, parents, and teachers learn about the dangers of vaping. There are videos of real teens who share their stories, science-based learning activities, and online and community resources. It also includes lesson plans for teachers and parental advice on how to approach conversations regarding vaping.
11 Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current electronic cigarette use among adults aged 18 and over: United States, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db475.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. E-cigarette, or vaping, products visual dictionary. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/pdfs/ecigarette-or-vaping-products-visual-dictionary-508.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Quick facts on the risks of e-cigarettes for kids, teens, and young adults. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 7 common withdrawal symptoms. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/7-common-withdrawal-symptoms/index.html
Cleveland Clinic. EVALI. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24948-evali
National Institutes of Health. NIH-funded studies show damaging effects of vaping, smoking on blood vessels. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-funded-studies-show-damaging-effects-vaping-smoking-blood-vessels
Thorax. Prospective study of e-cigarette use and respiratory symptoms in adolescents and young adults. https://thorax.bmj.com/content/79/2/163
Tobacco Education Resource Library. Vaping prevention & education: Resources for talking with students. https://digitalmedia.hhs.gov/tobacco/educator_hub
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Know the risks: E-cigarettes and young people. https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/default.htm
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Results from the annual national youth survey. https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/results-annual-national-youth-tobacco-survey
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. E-cigarette use among youth and youth adults. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538684/
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board
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