Get the FACTS with Vapes and Vaping
E-Cigs, Vapes and Mods
E-cigarettes, or “vapes,” are one of the latest evolutions in tobacco products. They’re also one of the biggest threats to our kids’ health. While traditional cigarette smoking rates have dropped, use of electronic smoking devices has skyrocketed among young people—exposing them to the dangers of nicotine, addiction, and a variety of new health risks.
In Wisconsin, 11 percent of middle schoolers have tried electronic tobacco products, and 4 percent of middle schoolers are current users. Those numbers jump by the time kids reach high school.
Today, 32 percent of high schoolers have tried e-cigarettes, and 20 percent consider themselves current users.
In a recent study, 80 percent of young e-cigarette users said they used e-cigarettes “because they come in flavors I like”
95 percent of Wisconsin middle schoolers say they wouldn’t use an unflavored product
Sweet and trendy flavors like root beer float, cotton candy, and banana split are a big part of why e-cigarettes are so popular. E-cigarettes come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Some are even designed to hide in plain sight. Below are some things to note!
Disposable e-cigarettes that are brightly designed and look like slim highlighters, or high-tech cigarettes.
You could mistake some e-cigarettes for USB flash drives, credit cards, small cell phones, or guitar picks.
Colorful, pre-filled e-juice cartridges, or flavor pods, with plastic caps.
Sweet scents, like bubble gum, or chocolate cake, that don’t have a clear source.
Strange batteries, charging equipment, coils, and spare parts you don’t recognize.
Unexplained online purchases, or small, unexpected packages in the mail.
Slim pieces of colorful plastic in your trash? Those could be disposable vapes.
There are SERIOUS health risks associated with vaping and e-cigarettes in general.
We don’t fully even know all the risks yet!
E-cigarettes are so new, doctors and scientists are still studying the risks—including a 2019 outbreak of vape-related lung injuries and deaths. That means a lot of kids are using tobacco products that aren’t fully understood.
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a potent chemical compound that makes cigarettes, chew, and other tobacco products highly addictive
The industry’s most popular e-cigarette pod contains as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes.
E-liquids can contain heavy metals like nickel, tin, and lead.
Diacetyl, a flavoring found in many e-liquids, has been linked to lung disease.
Nicotine can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.
Aerosols contain super fine particles that can irritate the eyes, throat, and lungs.
Teens who use e-cigarettes are three times as likely to become cigarette smokers.
E-cigarette devices have been known to explode, causing severe injuries.
No matter how it is delivered, nicotine is addictive.
Ingesting the nicotine in e-liquids can cause vomiting, confusion, cardiac arrhythmia, coma, and death.
Concerned about a kid’s well-being?
Call 211 or 1-833-944-4673
The Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline can help you find local services and support. It’s free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.