Electronic Cigarettes

E-cigarettes and Vaping Devices

Vaping devices are a tool used to deliver nicotine, marijuana, and other drugs. Vaping devices often look like USB sticks, pens, cigarettes, and are typically small in size. These devices have grown in popularity among the general public and are often known by several names such as:

• E-cigarettes (e-cigs)
• E-hookahs
• Mods
• Vape pens
• Vapes
• Tanks systems
• Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)

What is in them?

• Vaping devices create an aerosol that the user inhales into their lungs. Substances found in many of these aerosols and products may include:
• Nicotine
• Flavorings
• THC
• Ultrafine particles
• Chemicals
• Volatile compounds
• Heavy metals

Health Effects

The health effects of these products may include:

• Nicotine addiction
• Aerosol may contain cancer-causing chemicals and other substances
• Physical injury from defective devices that have exploded
• Use among pregnant women can negatively affect developing fetuses
• Nicotine can adversely affect brain development in youth
• Lung damage and respiratory illness

Source: About Electronic Cigarettes (E-cigarettes) Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Use Among Youth

• Youth are more likely than adults to use e-cigarettes and vaping devices
• Flavorings in tobacco product can make it more appealing to youth
• Many youth that use vaping devices are unaware of the contents and ingredients
• E-cigarette use among youth is often associated with the concurrent or future use of other tobacco products

Source: Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  – CDC

What We Can Do

• Talk to youth about the dangers of any tobacco use, including e-cigarettes and vaping devices
• Access a free online tobacco prevention toolkit Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  to prevent junior and high school students from using commercial tobacco products
• Refer individuals who are ready to quit to local cessation services, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or Smokefree.TXT messaging programs
• Access CDC information About Electronic Cigarettes (E-Cigarettes) Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

Resources for Providers

• Watch the video on how to assess for and document e-cigarette and vape users on the health factor tab in the Electronic Health Record
• Access the CDC poster for clinical settings Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  [PDF - 300 KB] to display in facilities and patients rooms
• View the CDC archived webinar on “Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with E-cigarette Product Use or Vaping: Information for Clinicians” Access the most updated public information from the CDC Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

Resources

• Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  – CDC
• About Electronic Cigarettes (E-cigarettes) Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  – CDC
• National Institute on Drug Abuse Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  –
• The Real Cost of Tobacco Campaign Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  – U.S Food and Drug Administration