Category Archives: Vaping

Quit the Hit: How to Break Up with Vaping

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The face of vaping young man on black studio background

What is vaping?

Vaping is breathing in and exhaling the aerosol that is produced by a battery-powered smoking device, called an e-cigarette, that heats liquid ingredients into a vapor. The ingredients include nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals, many of which are toxic.  Some vaping products contain marijuana or other drugs.  Vapes are small and often disguised as USB flash drives, cell phones, pens, erasers, or lipstick. Some are disposable while others can be reused by charging the device and by replacing the e-liquid.  Vapes come in sweet flavors that disguise the harsh taste of nicotine and other chemicals contained in the e-liquid.

Why do I need to quit?

  • people who use e-cigarettes are up to 4 times more likely to start smoking cigarettes
  • it is illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase, possess, or use e-cigarettes
  • vapes have a high level of extremely addictive nicotine, some with an amount equal to about 20 cigarettes
  • the vapor made from e-cigarettes is not made of water, it contains harmful chemicals and very fine particles that are inhaled into the lungs
  • nicotine is harmful to the developing brain and the brain keeps developing until about age 25
  • negative health effects including coughing, wheezing, behavioral and mood changes, headaches, seizures, vomiting, and potential severe lung injury.
  • vaping negatively affects attention, learning, and impulse control, especially in young people
  • vaping is expensive 

How Do I Quit?

When a person stops vaping, they can experience intense withdrawal including strong cravings, irritability, fatigue, headache, sleeplessness, and difficulty concentrating.  Thankfully, there is a lot of support out there for people who want to quit.

  • This is Quitting is a mobile program to designed to help teens and young adults to quit. Join for free by texting DITCHVAPE to 88709. Users receive age-appropriate messages tailored to their enrollment date or quit date. Throughout the program, users can text COPE, STRESS, SLIP or MORE to receive instant support.
  • Parents can text QUIT to (202) 899-7550 to sign up to receive text messages designed specifically for parents of vapers.
  • If you are an adult looking for support to quit vaping or stop using any tobacco product, BecomeAnEX, www.becomeanex.org, is a free, digital quit-smoking plan and community created by Truth Initiative in collaboration with Mayo Clinic.

Compiled by Kathleen Witte

Let’s Talk About Vaping

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It’s not always easy to engage with our teenagers about the dangers they face. But adolescents care what their parents think and take fewer risks when we keep the lines of communication open.

14.4% of US high-school students and 3.3% of middle schoolers currently vape as of 2021.

*What do e-cigarettes and vaping devices look like?

E-cigarettes and vape devices come in several forms. While some resemble tobacco products, others resemble household objects like USB devices, pens, highlighters, and chargers. Vaping devices like Puff Bar designed for one-time use and are now disposable.

*Are vape devices and e-cigarettes the same thing?

Yes, e-cigarettes and vaping devices are synonymous. Ever-evolving slang or brand names are also used to refer to vaping, including “blowing clouds”, a nod to the smoke “cloud” produced by exhaling chemical-filled aerosols.

*Isn’t vaping just “flavored water vapor?

No, vaping involves inhaling “e-juice” in the form of aerosol produced by an electronic cigarette or vape device. The aerosol typically contains flavorings such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease, nicotine, and other harmful chemicals. Vape cartridges or “pods” can also be filled with THC, CBD or other e-juices.

*Why is Vaping Dangerous/Why should I be concerned if my child is vaping?

Vaping is harmful and dangerous to kids. Almost all vape liquid contains nicotine, which is addictive and harmful to adolescent brain development, and vaping aerosols contain chemicals linked to serious lung disease and heavy metals.

*Is There Regulation?

No vaping product has been approved by the FDA as a safe and effective way to quit and there aren’t any studies to show the long-term side effects. In 2017, FDA published a rule clarifying that products made or derived from tobacco products including e-cigarettes and vaping devices.

And while FDS has issued an enforcement policy on flavored e-cigarette products, including fruit and mint flavors that appeal to kids, manufacturers are finding loopholes and continuing to market flavors to kids. A recent report revealed that 85% of kids who vape use flavored vaping products such as fruit, candy, menthol, and mint.

Additionally, many e-cigarette labels still do not disclose whether or not they contain nicotine. Even those that say they do not have nicotine have been found to contain it.

The facts are clear. As you just learned vaping is dangerous for your child.

Shelly Wardlow

Executive Director of DrugFree Greenville