Vaping Awareness

March is Vaping Awareness Month. This month-long campaign helps youth make fully informed choices by arming them with facts about the dangers of nicotine addiction and e-cigarette use.

E-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in the U.S. last year, and they have been since 2014. Many see them as a healthy and accessible alternative to cigarettes, but it’s important to recognize that e-cigarettes come with their own unique set of dangers.

Read below to learn more about vaping and its risks.

Is vaping safer than smoking cigarettes?

No, no tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are safe. Although e-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer harmful chemicals than those found in cigarettes, that doesn’t mean it’s a safe alternative. Vaping can still expose your lungs to dangerous chemicals and lead to nicotine addiction. It’s important to remember that scientists still have a lot to learn about the short- and long-term health effects of using e-cigarettes, so the full extent of their negative effects remains uncertain.

Why is vaping dangerous?

The aerosol found in e-cigarettes can contain some or all of the below substances that, when breathed in, can harm the body in various ways:

Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, lead, chromium, and aluminum that can cause serious health consequences
Volatile organic compounds (gasses that can negatively affect your lungs, central nervous system, kidneys, and liver)
Flavorings such as diacetyl (a chemical linked to a serious lung disease)
Carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals like formaldehyde
Carcinogenic carbonyl compounds
minor tobacco alkaloids (added to make e-cigarette more potent, and thus more addictive)
tobacco-specific nitrosamines (carcinogen found in cigarette smoke)
reactive oxygen species (causes inflammation and damage to the lungs)
Nicotine
other toxicants*

*The toxicity of the liquid solutions and aerosols varies by formulation and device used.

And what about nicotine?

Nicotine is a highly-addictive chemical found in most e-cigarettes. Since adolescent brain development continues until about age 25, nicotine poses unique dangers to the youth. Developing brains are more vulnerable to addiction, sometimes showing signs of dependence far before the start of regular or daily use. Nicotine harms the part of the brain controlling attention, learning, mood, and impulse control, so early exposure can lead to lasting developmental challenges in many significant areas.

Nicotine addiction

Nicotine can lead to addiction and feelings of withdrawal, like any other addictive substance. Addiction can affect performance at school and work, as well as relationships with family and friends. Common reasons for using nicotine include feeling anxious, stressed, or down. Addiction and withdrawal can worsen these feelings, leading to continued use in an attempt to relieve these negative symptoms. This forms a cycle of addiction.

“When someone addicted to nicotine stops using it, their body and brain have to adjust. This can result in temporary symptoms of nicotine withdrawal which may include:

Feeling irritable, jumpy, restless, or anxious
Feeling sad or down
Having trouble sleeping
Having a hard time concentrating
Feeling hungry
Craving nicotine

Withdrawal symptoms fade over time as the brain gets used to not having nicotine.”*

*(symptoms and info copied directly from the CDC website).

Quitting vaping

More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between nicotine addiction and mental health. That being said, studies show that people who quit vaping experience lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress while experiencing improved mood and quality of life.

Conclusion

Vaping can be an extremely helpful tool during the challenging time of recovery. As an adult, it may be necessary to weigh the costs of vaping with a less preferred alternative (like smoking cigarettes or using other substances). Additionally, it’s important to avoid perpetuating judgment and stigma, regardless of one’s personal choices.

The research is clear, however, on the dangers of adolescent nicotine use, and the CDC continues to emphasize that “….the prevention of youth tobacco product use is crucial….” (full quote below)

“Given the negative health consequences of tobacco use and the unique harms associated with adolescent nicotine exposure, prevention of youth tobacco product use is crucial. Preventing initiation and promoting cessation require a comprehensive approach at the local, state, and national levels. Evidence-based tobacco prevention strategies include price increases, mass media campaigns to educate youths about the harmful effects of all tobacco products, and implementation of comprehensive smoke-free policies that include e-cigarettes.” (Jamal et al., 2024).