In the past year alone, vaping among high schoolers has increased
78%
E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are becoming increasingly popular among teens.
In fact, they are the most commonly used tobacco product among both middle and high school students. You may have already seen or heard about students vaping in your school, but it is important to know that certain types of vapes can be used very discreetly.
SOME TEENS REPORT USING E-CIGARETTES IN SCHOOL BATHROOMS AND EVEN IN THE CLASSROOM
Learning more about the different types of e-cigarette products is an important first step in addressing youth vaping.
DID YOU KNOW:
E-cigarettes come in a variety of shapes and sizes and may not look like a tobacco product, which can make them hard to spot.
Some devices popular among teens – like JUUL and myblu – are as small as a USB flash drive and even look like one.
Certain products emit very low amounts of aerosol or “vapor,” which makes them easier to use discreetly than combustible cigarettes.
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, the same highly addictive drug in cigarettes. Some e-cigarettes may contain as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.
A BIG Problem....
A SMALL DEVICE!
Over
10.7 million
youth
aged 12-17 are at-risk
for using e-cigarettes.
Many teens have DANGEROUS MISPERCEPTIONS that lead them to believe that vaping is harmless!
COMMON MYTHS
BELIEVED ABOUT VAPING, ALONG WITH THE FACTS.
"It's just flavoring"
Vapes get their flavors from chemicals. While these flavorings are safe to eat in food, they’re not safe to inhale. Inhaling flavor chemicals can harm your lungs.
Want an example? Some buttery-flavored vapes like caramel contain diacetyl and acetoin. Inhaling diacetyl has been linked to popcorn lung, a lung disease that doesn’t have a cure.
"It's just water vapor"
But it’s not. Vaping can expose the user’s lungs to harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, diacetyl and acrolein, as well as toxic metal particles like nickel, tin and lead.
"My vape says it's nicotine-free. There's no way I'll become addicted."
Some vapes that claim they are nicotene-free are not.
"I don't have an addictive personality - I won't get hooked on vapes"
Vaping delivers nicotine to the brain in as little as 10 seconds. A teens brain is still developing, making it more vulnerable to nicotine addiction.
"Nicotine isn't that bad for me."
Nicotine exposure during the teen years can disrupt normal brain development. It can have long-lasting effects like increased impulsivity and mood disorders.
"Just because I vape doesn't mean I'm going to smoke
cigarettes."
Research shows teens who vape are more likely to try smoking cigarettes.
