E-Cigarettes & Vaping

Vaping is an epidemic that puts kids, teens and young adults at risk. There are a million ways to teach about addiction, nicotine and the harmful effects of vaping. The risks are not worth the hit. One puff can lead to a nasty nicotine addiction, damage to your brain function, lung or heart disease, tooth decay and more.

Learn more about tobacco use in middle school or in young adults. 

Learn About Youth Users

Learn About Young Adult Users

Did you know that your brain continues to develop until the age of 25? During this time in life, the brain is super vulnerable. This means that kids and teens are at an increased risk of suffering the lifelong effects of tobacco.

These effects are irreversible and can cause:

• Difficulty learning
• Decreased memory
• Increased risk of substance abuse
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Suicidal tendencies
• Nicotine dependency
• Decreased impulse control
• And more

Inhaling aerosols from a vape pen poses a serious threat to your lung health. “Fun” flavors can be extra risky. Along with the possibility of inhaling nicotine, there is a slew of chemicals in aerosol that can be harmful, according to the American Lung Association.

Many ingredients in e-cigarettes — even those without nicotine — are toxic and can cause damage to your lungs. These are just some of the emissions that can be detrimental:

• Ultrafine particles
• Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde — cause lung disease and heart disease
• Diacetyl — linked to lung disease
• Volatile organic compounds like benzene — found in car exhaust
• Acrolein — a weedkiller that can cause lung injury, COPD, asthma and lung cancer
• Heavy metals like nickel, tin and lead

You may even increase your risk of heart disease to the same level as a commercial cigarette. Most people with this disease are much older, but you could experience them much sooner by vaping. Blood flow to your heart may end up lower than that of traditional smokers, according to the American Heart Association.

Contracting heart or lung disease could mean losing your life.

Vaping puts you at a higher risk of experiencing symptoms like these:

• Dry mouth — which leads to bad breath, sores and tooth decay
• Periodontal disease — which damages gums and can damage the jaw
• Cavities — which may come from acidity in vape juice
• Tooth and bone loss
• Receding gums

43% of e-cigarette users,

73% of smokers

& 28% of non-tobacco users...

... in the United States have gum disease and oral infections.

White blood cells called neutrophils make up 50-70 percent of your white blood cells, and they play a huge role in fighting off illness. Even without nicotine, e-cigarette vapor has been proven to interfere with the effectiveness of white blood cells.

When exposed to this vapor, the affected white blood cells have a slower response to fighting infections. They also lose the ability to produce the necessary chemicals to complete their task. That makes you more vulnerable to diseases like COVID-19, the flu and more. Teens and young adults may be five times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 if they have vaped.

There's nothing wrong with asking for help.

The best way to stop vaping or to get help for someone else is to talk to a trusted adult like a parent, guardian, teacher or other family member. Healthcare professionals can be even more helpful.

Bring up the situation, explain the problem and let them know your feelings on the matter. Speak calmly, and answer any questions they may have.

Then don't wait to get help if you need it.