What is vaping?

True or false? Vaping is safer than smoking. Misleading | Safer Sacramento Youth

Vaping is when someone inhales an aerosol (not just “water vapor”) from an electronic device like a vape pen, e-cigarette, or disposable vape.

These devices heat a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and chemicals.

Vapes come in many forms:

  • Disposable vapes

  • Refillable pod systems

  • Devices that look like USB drives, pens, or highlighters

Some vapes are also used for marijuana (THC) or other substances.

What’s actually in a vape?

Vape aerosol may smell like fruit or candy, but it contains more than just flavor.

It can include:

  • Nicotine, a highly addictive substance that is extracted from tobacco or made in a lab

  • Heavy metals like lead, tin, and nickel

  • Cancer-causing chemicals

  • Diacetyl, a type of chemical flavoring linked to serious lung disease

  • Ultrafine particles that go deep into your lungs

Even products labeled “nicotine-free” can still contain nicotine.

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Why do teens vape?

There isn’t just one reason. For many teens, it’s a mix of things:

  • Appealing flavors like mango, mint, or cotton candy

  • To manage stress or anxiety

  • Curiosity, or wanting to try something new

  • Friends or social pressure

  • Social media influence

  • Belief that vaping is harmless

Myths about vaping

  • Fact: Vape aerosol contains harmful chemicals and particles.

  • Fact: Most vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.

  • Fact: Many teens don’t vape – and most who do actually want to quit.

  • Fact: Besides high levels of nicotine, vape products can also contain thousands of additional chemicals that you inhale.

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How vaping affects your body

Nicotine is a toxin that can stay in your system for 6-8 hours and affect many parts of the brain and body.

  • Your brain is still developing until about age 25. Vaping can:

    • Affect memory, learning, and focus

    • Increase anxiety and mood swings

    • Make it easier to get addicted to other substances

  • Vaping can:

    • Raise blood pressure

    • Spike adrenaline → increases heart rate

    • Narrow and harden artery walls

    • Irritate and damage lung tissue

    • Cause coughing and shortness of breath

    • Increase risk of asthma

    Some people have developed serious lung injuries linked to vaping.

  • Vaping can:

    • Increase stress over time (even if it feels calming at first)

    • Worsen anxiety and depression

    • Create a cycle of craving and withdrawal

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Signs someone might be vaping

If you’re a parent or a friend, these are some common signs:

  • Sweet or fruity smells

  • Increased thirst or nosebleeds

  • Coughing more often

  • Small devices that look like USBs or pens

  • Mood swings or irritability

  • Wanting to be alone more often

How to quit or reduce risk

Quitting isn’t easy, but it’s possible. At first, you might feel cravings, irritability, and have trouble focusing or sleeping. 

These are normal and temporary. Helpful quit tips:

  • Set a quit date –  give yourself a goal and hold yourself accountable

  • Avoid triggers – places, people, situations)

  • Talk to someone you trust – a friend, family member, pastor, coach, counselor

  • Use free support programs:

    Kick It California: free one-on-one coaching

    Smokefree.gov: call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free guidance

There are also steps you can take to reduce risk and harm:

  • The longer you delay trying or using these products, the better for your health. Nearly 9 out of 10 adults who smoke tobacco first tried smoking before the age of 18.

  • Reducing how often you use can minimize harm to your heart, lungs, and mental health.

  • Take a “tolerance break” to see what changes in attention, cravings, and motivation you notice.

  • Sharing vaping devices can spread germs and infections.

Vaping marijuana

Marijuana concentrates can also be used in vaping devices. The concentrates can contain very high THC (the psychoactive substance) levels that may be up to four times stronger than the dried flower of marijuana.

Learn more

You’re not alone

Most teens who vape actually want to quit – and many have already tried.

Getting support can make a big difference.

Learn more and get help

Resources

  • Visit our website

    Do you want to quit Smoking? Vaping? Chewing Tobacco? Nicotine Pouches? Do you have a family member or friend who wants to quit?    

    Kick it California

    •  English:  1-800-300-8086

    •  Spanish:  1-800-600-8191

    •  Chinese:  1-800-838-8917

    •  Korean:  1-800-556-5564

    • ​ Vietnamese:  1-800-778-8440

    Special Off​er: Asian language speakers and callers who live with children 5 and under may be eligible for free nicotine patches, sent directly to their homes. To see if you qualify, visit Kick it California​ for more information.   

    More Resources:

    For a Free Quit Kit, you can call the Sacramento County Tobacco Education & Prevention Program at (916) 875-5869 or request at Free Quit Kit online​.

    Because nicotine - a drug in cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, nicotine patches and most vaping devices - is addictive, quitting tobacco often takes more than willpower. Quitting is easier with help.

  • Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) is a state-funded program in California, meant to reduce tobacco use among young people and educate them about the dangers of tobacco use—including new products aimed directly at them. Through instruction and educational activities, students gain social skills and knowledge that will help them avoid these risks.

  • Kick it California a free program that helps Californians quit tobacco and nicotine with the help of proven, science-based strategies. Take the first step toward quitting.