Vaping is when you inhale (breathe in) a vapor created by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or other vaping device. The vaping devices are also called vapes. 

 

Vapes are battery-powered smoking devices. They have cartridges filled with a liquid that usually contains nicotine. Nicotine is a chemical that a lot of people get addicted to. It can also hurt the way your brain grows. Besides nicotine, e-cigarette liquid also can have other chemicals that could cause lung damage and cancer. The liquid is heated into a vapor that you inhale. That's why using e-cigarettes is called "vaping."

 

Death: Some people who vape have died. 

 

Lung Damage: Some people who vape reported serious lung damage including: 

•Severe respiratory failure, which would force you to be placed on a machine to help you breathe

•Lung disease, which could follow you all your life and make it hard to breathe

 

Brain Damage: The nicotine in vapes can mess up how your brain works, which can eventually: 

•Make it harder to learn and concentrate

•Cause a lot of bad moods and even depression

•Make it hard for you to control how you act

 

Poisons: The vapor made from e-cigarettes is not made of water. The vapor contains chemicals like propylene glycol and glycerol that can cause lung damage and cancer. Even the flavorings can be bad for you. You’re basically breathing poisons into your lungs and blowing them out into the air. 

 

Metals: Some vapes contain metal particles like tin, nickel and lead, which means you could be breathing in little pieces of metal into your lungs. 

 

Activities and Sports: Vaping can make it harder for you to breathe for the rest of your life, impacting your ability to play sports, go swimming, sing, or play musical instruments. 

 

It’s Illegal: Vaping and any other tobacco use are against the law for anyone under the age of 18. In some states, you can’t legally vape until you’re 21. 

 

More Likely to Smoke: Research shows you’re more likely to start smoking cigarettes if you vape. Vaping has not been approved as a healthier alternative to smoking or a way to help people quit smoking. 

 

Explosions: Some vaping devices have exploded or caught fire while being used and left their users with injuries and scars. 

 

Unknown Health Effects: Because vaping is new, there is much to learn about how vaping today could eventually hurt you later in life. 

•If you haven’t started vaping, don’t start. Most kids don’t use e-cigarettes or other tobacco products.

•If you vape or use other tobacco products, quit now. The sooner you quit, the better off you’ll be. Call 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) to talk to a counselor who is specifically trained to help smokers quit. 

•If you have questions about vaping, ask a parent, teacher, doctor or another adult you trust.

 

 

 

 

Source: Adapted from CDC.gov and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

 

 

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