Vaping Dangers

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NEW LAW TARGETS VAPES. BIG TOBACCO STILL TARGETS KIDS.

BREAKING NEWS: It’s great news that California is ending the sale of flavored tobacco in stores statewide. Despite the win, there’s more to be done to protect kids from the dangers of vapes. Knowing the facts is a good place to start.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL ALERT: As students return to in-person learning, kids have more opportunities to use vapes. Parents and teachers should watch for warning signs like increased mood swings, anxiety, and even taking a lot of bathroom breaks. Teens who vape are at 5–7x greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19. Explore this site with your teen to learn why vaping is more dangerous than ever.

NICOTINE = BRAIN POISON

The tobacco industry profits by hooking kids on flavored nicotine.

Flavors Illustrated icon of a red cherry

  • 96% of high school kids in CA who vape use flavors.
  • Vapes come in kid-friendly flavors like Blue Razz, Pegasus Milk, Menthol Freeze.
  • Flavors mask tobacco’s harshness.
  • Flavoring chemicals can damage lungs.

New nicotine Illustrated icon of a blue nicotine molecule

  • Many tobacco companies use a highly concentrated form of nicotine called nicotine salts that’s engineered for vaping.
  • Tobacco companies often use nicotine salts in vapes instead of regular nicotine.
  • Nicotine salts allow higher concentrations to be inhaled more easily,  and absorbed more quickly, than regular nicotine.
  • Whether it’s regular nicotine or nicotine salts, addiction happens fast, and can lead to further substance abuse.

Poison Illustrated icon of a pink skull and cross bones

  • Nicotine is poison for the adolescent brain. 
  • Nicotine changes the way connections form in the brain. 
  • Nicotine can interfere with attention and learning.
  • Nicotine can increase anxiety, mood swings, and irritability.

Youth and young adult vaping is associated with 5 – 7x greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19.

In the last 2 years, vaping has increased by 218% among middle schoolers and 135% among high schoolers

96% of kids who vape use flavors

Teens are nearly 7x more likely to vape nicotine than adults

Marijuana vaping among youth has increased by 58% in a single year

Teens who vape are 3x more likely than non-vapers to become daily cigarette smokers

The average age of youth and young adults who try smokeless tobacco, like chew or snus, for the first time is 16.

KIDS CAN STILL GET THESE VAPES

Despite the FDA flavors policy, kids can still get certain types of vapes. Click each product for details.

Allowed

Pre-Filled Pod Vapes

  • Silver Juul vape device JUUL
  • Purple Phix vape device PHIX
Allowed

Pre-Filled Pod Vapes

The FDA ended the sale of vapes with pre-filled flavored pods like Juul and Phix. Despite the FDA policy, menthol- and tobacco-flavored pre-filled vape pods are still on the market. In fact, after the policy went into effect, sales of all menthol vape pods increased by 52%.

Allowed

Refillable Vapes

  • Green Sourin vape device SUORIN DROP
Allowed

Refillable Vapes

Suorin Drops are refillable. The FDA policy only prohibits pre-filled flavored pods, so these are still allowed in thousands of kid-friendly flavors.

Allowed

Disposable Vapes

  • POSH
Allowed

Disposable Vapes

Single-use disposable vapes like Posh Vape, Flum and Lush Flow don’t have pods. The vape itself contains the flavored nicotine. So these vapes in candy flavors like Frozen Strawberry, Blue Raspberry, and Apple sail right through the loophole and onto shelves. In fact, disposable vapes have had a great year since the FDA policy went into effect, enjoying the increase in sales of flavors that were restricted in pre-filled vape products like Juul.

Allowed

Vape Pens

  • Purple vape pen Vape Pen
Allowed

Vape Pens

Vape pens are refillable in thousands of kid-friendly flavors. They get through the FDA loophole because the policy states no more pre-filled pods, letting refillable vapes off the hook.

Find anti-vaping programs near you

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Join your local coalition

Get involved in your community’s efforts to combat youth vaping, protect kids’ health, and help those who are hooked.

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