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What Are E-Cigarettes?

E-cigarettes, also known as “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems,” are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products. If you’ve never smoked or used other tobacco products or e-cigarettes, you shouldn’t ever start. 

E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid containing nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals, emitting potentially harmful substances, including nicotine, volatile organic compounds, ultrafine particles, cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead, as well as flavorings like diacetyl, linked to serious lung diseases. E-cigarette users inhale the aerosol into their lungs and exhale it, so bystanders also breathe it in. Consumers often find it challenging to understand the contents of e-cigarette products, as some marketed as nicotine-free have been found to contain nicotine. While e-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer toxic chemicals than traditional cigarette smoke’s mix of 7,000 chemicals, it is not harmless, posing risks due to its composition of harmful substances. Additionally, e-cigarettes can be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs. 

The Truth Behind Vaping

MYTH: “E-cigarette smoke is a harmless water vapor.”

  • FACT: Besides nicotine, e-cigarettes can contain harmful and potentially harmful ingredients, including: ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, flavorants such as diacetyl (a chemical linked to serious lung disease), volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals (such as nickel, tin, and lead). Source

MYTH: “E-cigarettes are safe.”

  • FACT: E-cigarettes are not a risk-free product. E-cigarettes, which contain nicotine and low levels of toxins and chemicals, pose particular dangers to adolescents, whose developing brains are especially vulnerable. Teen e-cigarette users are susceptible to nicotine addiction, mood disorders, impaired attention, decreased impulse control, and learning difficulties. Source

MYTH: “E-cigarettes are not marketed towards youth.”

  • FACT: The vaping and tobacco industries depend on cultivating a fresh population of individuals to develop nicotine addiction in order to sustain their profits. Source

MYTH: “E-cigarettes can help people quit smoking.”

  • FACT: The FDA has not approved e-cigarettes as a quit smoking aid, and more research is needed on whether e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking and to better understand the health effects of e-cigarettes. Source

MYTH: “Smoking e-cigarettes does not lead to smoking regular cigarettes.”

  • FACT: Research indicates that the use of e-cigarettes among youth may be linked to later use of regular cigarettes and other tobacco products. Using e-cigarettes may play a part in some kids or teens wanting to use other, more harmful tobacco products. Source

What are the Health Effects of Vaping?

Scientists are continuously studying the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes, and current knowledge reveals several concerning factors. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance known to be toxic to developing fetuses and harmful to adolescent brain development. E-cigarette aerosol can also harbor cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that deeply penetrate the lungs, although generally containing fewer harmful chemicals than smoke from traditional tobacco products. Furthermore, defective e-cigarette batteries have caused fires and explosions, resulting in severe injuries, and acute nicotine exposure poses a toxicity risk, with incidents of poisoning reported in both children and adults through ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption of e-cigarette liquid.

Are E-Cigarettes approved by the FDA as a Quit Smoking Aid?

As of 2023, e-cigarettes are not FDA-approved as a quit-smoking aid, although certain types may assist adult smokers in transitioning away from or significantly reducing their consumption of more harmful cigarettes if actually used to quit tobacco altogether. But remember: No e-cigarette product has gained FDA approval for smoking cessation. While evidence from randomized controlled trials suggests that e-cigarettes containing nicotine may aid in long-term smoking cessation, recent CDC studies indicate that many adult e-cigarette users continue to smoke traditional cigarettes concurrently, a practice known as “dual use.” While e-cigarettes may potentially benefit non-pregnant adult smokers as a complete substitute for all smoked tobacco products, the limited research on the topic yields mixed results, emphasizing the importance of quitting smoking entirely to safeguard one’s health, as even occasional cigarette use can pose significant risks.

Who is Using E-Cigarettes?

As of 2023, e-cigarettes have become the most prevalent tobacco product among U.S. youth, with higher usage rates among adolescents than adults. According to the FDA, 10% of high school students and 4.6% of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes. Data from the CDC also indicates that among current e-cigarette users aged 18-24 years, a majority (61.4%) had never smoked cigarettes. Among this age group, 16.3% were current smokers, 22.3% were former smokers, and 61.4% had never been cigarette smokers. Additionally, the CDC reports that among adults aged 18 and over, 4.5% were current e-cigarette users, with a higher prevalence among men (5.1%) compared to women (4.0%). This marks a significant increase from 2016, when only 3.2% of U.S. adults reported current e-cigarette use.

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