Clear the Air: The Truth About E-Cigarettes, Vaping and Smoking

Many people, mostly teens and young adults, think using e-cigs will make them look more stylish. They also often think they are a healthier choice than smoking cigarettes. Whether they look like cigarettes, pipes, pens or lipstick holders, they all use a vapor to deliver nicotine without tobacco. This vapor sparked the use of “vape” and “vaping” instead of smoking.

Is Vaping Safer?

Some say e-cigs are safer than regular cigarettes. Health experts don’t agree. Most vape devices hold nicotine. Nicotine is addictive and one vaping dose can have as much nicotine as 20 regular cigarettes.

E-cig vapor has harmful chemicals and metals. It’s been linked to lung injuries in users. Research shows exposure to secondhand vapor can be dangerous for others too.

Can Vaping Help You Quit Smoking? 

Smokers who want to quit may think vaping can help them give up cigarettes. In fact, vaping makes it harder. Studies show vaping is just as addictive as smoking cigarettes. Plus, vape tools are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration  as a quit aid.

If you’re trying to quit smoking, ask your doctor about nicotine replacement products and other proven tools that can help. For more tips, visit smokefree.gov. 

Are They Making a New Generation of Smokers?

Many children and teens who weren’t smokers have started vaping. This may raise their risk of smoking tobacco later on in life.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  report more than 1.63 million high school and middle school students used e-cigarettes in 2024. They are now more popular among teens than traditional cigarettes.

The figures are concerning since nearly all e-cigs have nicotine. Along with being addictive, nicotine harms health — including brain growth in adolescents.

Be Careful

After review, the FDA has authorized only 39 e-cig devices to be sold in the U.S. But there are no safe tobacco products, including e-cigs. Nicotine can impact learning, mood and impulse control in youth. Science still has a lot to learn about the short- and long-term health effects of vaping.

It’s hard to know exactly how much nicotine and other chemicals are in e-cigs. It’s safest not to use them and cloud up clear air — or healthy lungs.

Sources:  E-Cigarettes, Vapes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS),  U.S.  Food and Drug Administration, 2025;  Results from the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey,  FDA, 2025; Vapor Hiding Dangerous Ingredients,  American Lung Association, 2025; Health Effects of Vaping,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025; 5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know,  Johns Hopkins Medicine