Thriving Youth Substance Use Resources

Nicotine/Vaping Education Poster Campaign

When the Thriving Youth Darien youth sector representatives met earlier this year, they agreed to focus on nicotine and vaping education, highlighting the risks of nicotine use. Together, they created posters to place where students would easily see them and learn from the messages.

The 2025 Darien Youth Survey showed that nicotine had the lowest perceived harm compared to other substances, such as alcohol and marijuana. This poster education project helps students better understand the real harms of nicotine and vaping and challenges the misperception that these products are less risky than alcohol or marijuana.

Vaping Prevention Poster - What They're Hiding (1).jpg

Vaping Prevention Poster - Box Breathing (1).jpg

Vaping Prevention Poster - Lungs (1).jpg

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.