VAPING TOOLKIT
Vaping and You
The Facts You Need to Know
Chances are that you’re on this site because someone who cares about you is asking questions. Are you vaping? Have you thought about vaping? Do you know that vaping could be a danger to your health?
Or maybe you’ve made the choice to not vape, but know someone who is vaping … and you’re concerned.
We created this page to give you facts you can trust. Your choice matters.
31% of teens who use e-cigarettes begin smoking within 6 months.
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Did you know one JUUL pod has the same amount of nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes?!
What you need to know:
E-cigarettes contain chemicals that can cause irreversible lung damage and alter teen brains.
These chemicals such as formaldehyde, which is known to cause cancer, and acrolein which is used as a weed killer and can cause irreversible lung damage
Nicotine is highly addictive and exposure during adolescence can harm the developing brain. Youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to go on to use traditional cigarettes.
In the short term, e-cigarette aerosol can irritate your lungs, throat and eyes. It can also make it more likely that you’ll catch colds or get the flu.
The aerosol produced by e-cigarettes isn’t water vapor and it isn’t harmless.
- The aerosol inhaled from these products is often a mixture of harmful chemicals like nicotine, formaldehyde and acrolein.
- Virtually all e-cigarettes contain nicotine – even the ones labeled “nicotine free”. This is because there are no rules about how e-cigarettes or “e-juice” are made. There is no way to know exactly what is in an e-cigarette.
- “E-juice” and JUUL pods flavored like fruit or other treats carry the same health risks as the unflavored products. Also, the flavorings used are typically not safe to be inhaled into the lungs.
No. JUULs may look different, but they’re actually a type of e-cigarette.
Every JUUL pod contains highly addictive nicotine. JUUL does not make any nicotine-free pods. Some JUUL pods claim to have roughly as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.
The aerosol cloud produced by a JUUL might not look as thick as other e-cigarettes’ or regular cigarette smoke, but it still contains many of the same chemicals and has the same health risks.
Source: American Lung Association
Get tips to quit vaping
Quitting vaping can be easier when you prepare and have a plan. Use these tools to help yourself or others quit smoking or vaping.
Follow these steps to get ready to quit vaping.
Vaping and You
About These Resources
The topic of youth vaping is being reported on every day – and it’s no surprise why. 1 in 5 youth report current e-cigarette use. Between 2017 and 2018, there was a 50% increase in middle school aged youth. In that same time period, there was an 80% increase in high school-aged youth using e-cigarettes. The Barnstable County Department of Human Services has created this toolkit to provide a centralized resource for youth to be better equipped to make healthy choices about vaping. Download the Vaping Tookit flyer here to share with others.
Massachusetts Smokers' Helpline
1-800-QUIT-NOW
1-800-784-8669