Thriving Youth Substance Use Resources

Nicotine and Vaping Resources

What’s in an E-Cig or Vape?

E-cigarette aerosol is NOT harmless “water vapor.” It can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including:1

Nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that can harm adolescent brain development
Cancer-causing chemicals
Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead
Tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
Volatile organic compounds
Flavorings such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease. Some flavorings used in e-cigarettes may be safe to eat but not to inhale because the lungs process substances differently than the gut.

It is difficult to know which substances e-cigarettes contain. For example, some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine.2

Many e-cigarettes contain nicotine salts. These allow people to consume high levels of nicotine without experiencing the harshness of freebase nicotine.3

Source: About E-Cigarettes (Vapes) | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC

How much nicotine is in a vape?

A 2018 study from Truth Initiative showed that nearly two-thirds — 63 percent — of JUUL users between 15 and 24 years old did not know that the product always contains nicotine.