Smoke-Free Doesn't = Danger-Free

E-cigarettes, also known as e-cigs, vapes, vape pens and electronic nicotine delivery systems, continue to rise in popularity. They’re seen by some as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. They’re not. Not only do they deliver the highly addictive drug, nicotine, they also produce a chemical-filled aerosol, not, as some think, harmless water vapor.

A lot of the growth in this market is being driven by teens and young adults. Some companies were pushing e-cigs and vape products that enticed teens with fruity and mint flavors. These flavored e-cigs include additional chemicals, including diacetyl, which can cause severe lung disease when inhaled. In 2020, the FDA put regulations in place to crack down on flavored e-cigs.

Alabama has also passed vape laws designed to keep them out of minors’ hands, including placing the same age restrictions for purchasing e-cigs and vapes – you must be 19 years old – as there are on traditional cigarettes and other nicotine products like dip and chewing tobacco. Some provisions of the law also limit marketing techniques and messages that target kids and teens.

The Dangers
What You Need to Know from the Alabama Department of Public Health:

• Nicotine is highly addictive and the primary agent in both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and there’s nicotine in most flavored e-cigarettes.
• Vaping puts nicotine into the body. Nicotine is highly addictive and can slow brain development in teens and affect memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention, and mood. Vaping also increases the risk of other types of addiction later in life.
• E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.
• 85% of e-cigarette users reported currently using flavored products.
• 8,823 deaths in Alabama were attributed to smoking-related causes.
• The tobacco industry spends $186.3 million on marketing each year in Alabama.
• Chemicals are added to e-cigarettes for flavoring.

What to Look For
There are multiple brands and types of e-cigs. They often resemble USB flash drives or a small pen.

Get Support
Anyone looking for help kicking the vaping and e-cig habit should text VAPEFREEAL to 88709. This allows you to sign up for a free and anonymous texting service that provides 24/7 support, daily tips and other forms of motivation to keep you focused on quitting. VAPEFREEAL is part of This is Quitting, offered by the Truth Initiative. Learn more here.