What is vaping? Vaping is basically just another way to deliver nicotine, an ingredient found in tobacco, to the brain. Nicotine is what creates the addiction and what keeps us using tobacco products. Without the nicotine, we wouldn’t want the product.

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, which is produced by an e-cigarette or similar device. The term is used because e-cigarettes do not produce tobacco smoke, but rather an aerosol, often mistaken for water vapor, that actually consists of fine particles.

Is vaping safer/healthier than smoking cigarettes? What’s not safer than cigarettes? Not exactly a high bar.

Though some may claim vaping is less dangerous than traditional cigarettes, that doesn’t mean that vaping is safe. In other words, “safer” doesn’t mean safe. Studies have shown that the aerosol vapor can contain dangerous toxins, including heavy metals and chemicals known to cause cancer and other diseases.¹

And most vape devices contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. It’s the same ingredient that makes cigarettes highly addictive. Human brain development continues far longer than was previously realized (until age 25), and nicotine use during adolescence and young adulthood has been associated with lasting brain impairments, including effects on working memory and attention.

There are also no standard regulations for vape manufacturers. Even with more than 450 different types of vape products, there are no universal standards for product design, ingredients and safety features.

More troubling, some vape products are owned by big tobacco companies, which have a history of prioritizing sales over safety. Plus, vaping is relatively new. We don’t yet know the long-term effects of vaping. Chances are, vaping is safer for certain body organs and more harmful for others.

What are the different vape products? Popular terms for vaping devices include JUULs, e-cigarettes, e-cigs, smokeless cigarettes, vaporizers, vape, vape pens, vapor pens, mods, tanks, cigalikes, e-hookah and hookah pens. These vary widely in size, shape and design. Some look like computer flash drives or highlighters, while others are bulky and box-like.

What is JUUL or JUUling?

Many types of e-cigarettes are available, but one popular brand is JUUL. JUUL is becoming more prevalent with youth in middle and high school because of its small size, and it looks like a USB device. When using a JUUL it is often referred to as JUULing.

With a $12.8 billion investment, Altria, the nation’s leading tobacco company, now owns 35% of Juul Labs, maker of the country’s most popular e-cigarette. As of 2021, Juul’s net worth is projected to be $25 billion, down from $38 billion before the firm was acquired by tobacco giant Altria in 2018.

What’s in vape juice or e-liquid?

Despite myths that vapes only contain “harmless water vapor,” that is not the case. There are hundreds of different vape products, which may include a range of ingredients including nicotine, chemical additives, flavorings and THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. 

Vape juice, e-liquid, JUULpods – these are all names for the liquid that is vaporized into an aerosol cloud. Vape juice most commonly contains three ingredients: propylene glycol and/or glycerin, chemicals for flavoring and nicotine.

The pods for JUULs, the brand name of the most popular vaping device among teens, contain nicotine 100 percent of the time. It’s estimated that the amount of nicotine in one JUULpod has the same amount of nicotine in an entire pack of cigarettes. Some vape pods can also contain THC, the chemical in marijuana that makes the user feel “high.” Complicating the issue, vaping doesn’t give off the telltale smell of smoking marijuana or cigarettes.

Also, according to the American Cancer Society, “There are some e-cigarette brands that claim to be nicotine-free but have been found to contain nicotine.”

Some teens say they just vape flavors, without nicotine or THC. Is that possible? While some vapes do not contain nicotine or THC, most do. In fact, 100 percent of JUULs – teens’ top choice for vaping devices – contain nicotine. And each JUUL pod contains about the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. Plus, studies have shown that most vaping products labeled “nicotine free” actually contain some amount of nicotine. For teens who don’t want to become addicted to nicotine, the safest option is not to vape or use any nicotine product (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, etc.) at all.

Without nicotine, most people would have no interest in vaping. It’s the nicotine that drives them to it.