Dangers of Vaping or E-Cigarettes

Why Is Nicotine Unsafe for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults?

  • Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products.
  • Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain.1 The brain keeps developing until about age 25.
  • Using nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.1
  • Each time a new memory is created or a new skill is learned, stronger connections – or synapses – are built between brain cells. Young people’s brains build synapses faster than adult brains. Nicotine changes the way these synapses are formed.
  • Using nicotine in adolescence may also increase risk for future addiction to other drugs.1

What Are the Other Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults?

  • Scientists are still learning about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.
  • Some of the ingredients in e-cigarette aerosol could also be harmful to the lungs in the long-term. For example, some e-cigarette flavorings may be safe to eat but not to inhale because the gut can process more substances than the lungs.1
  • Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused some fires and explosions, a few of which have resulted in serious injuries.
  • Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing, or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes.
  • The e-cigarette aerosol that users breathe from the device and exhale can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including:
    • Nicotine
    • Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
    • Flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease
    • Volatile organic compounds
    • Cancer-causing chemicals
    • Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead1
  • It is difficult for consumers to know what e-cigarette products contain. For example, some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine.3

Health Risks of Vaping Loss of ability to fight infection Vaping can be harmful to your genes and your immune system. Studies show that People who use e-cigarettes have lower activity in cells of genes that fight infection. Masked Formaldehyde Within the vapor of e-cigarettes is a chemical known as formaldehyde. This chemical is a known carcinogen. Prolonged exposure can contribute to lung cancer. E-Cigarettes Can Explode E-cigarettes do come with a unique health risk: they can unexpectedly blow up. Since these devices typically use lithium-ion batteries, there is always going to be a potential for explosions to occur, especially when improperly mixed with high temperatures. Vaping and Nicotine You can control how much nicotine you ingest while vaping, but any amount of nicotine can be harmful. Nicotine can worsen heart disease, affect your blood vessels , increase risk of heart attack, and harm the reproductive system. Vaping CHemicals Still Harmful Researchers have discovered acetyl propionyl and acetoin in many of the most popular e-cigarette flavors. These chemicals have been known to cause lung cancer and brain damage. Another chemical, diacetyl, in known to cause Popcorn Lung, which is when the lungs' smallest airways are destroyed.

Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults