Ages & Stages

Vaping: Dangerous, Available & Addicting

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Vaping: Dangerous Available and Addicting

Would you recognize an e-cigarette if you saw one? Not all e-cigarettes look alike, and vaping is easy to hide.

Why is vaping easy for teens to hide?

Electronic nicotine devices can look like a pen, a computer memory stick or flash drive, a car key fob, or even an asthma inhaler. Instead of inhaling tobacco smoke from a cigarette, e-cigarette users inhale vapor from liquid "e-juice" that has been heated with a battery-powered coil. This is called vaping. The juice is flavored and usually contains nicotine and other chemicals.

E-cigarettes are unhealthy and addictive.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating an outbreak of severe lung disease related to vaping that has caused severe illness and death in many US states. The American Academy of Pediatrics joins the CDC to remind parents that e-cigarette use is never safe for youth, young adults, or pregnant and/or breastfeeding women.

Here’s what you should know about teen vaping trends:

Teens might use different words to talk about e-cigarettes and vaping, including the brand of the e-cigarette device. For example, "JUULing" is a popular word to describe using a brand of e-cigarette.
Teens can order "e-juice" on the Internet. The legal age to buy e-cigarettes is 21, but online stores don't always ask for proof of age.
E-cigarette juices are sold in flavors like mint and menthol. Most have the addictive ingredient nicotine. The more kids vape, the more hooked they become.
Kids who vape just once are more likely to try other types of tobacco. Their developing brains make it easier for them to get hooked.
E-cigarettes may not help people quit using tobacco. Some adults use e-cigarettes when they want to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes. While a recent report found e-cigarettes are "less toxic" than cigarettes, most people who use e-cigarettes do not quit using cigarettes. The healthiest option is for parents and their children to quit.

Talk with your pediatrician

If you have questions about vaping, talk with your pediatrician. Your regional Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) have staff who can also talk with parents about concerns over environmental toxins.

More information

Last Updated: 9/8/2021

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.