Vaping Myths
Youth have quickly become a part of a vaping culture due in large part to successful industry marketing and peer pressure. There is a belief that vaping is less harmful than regular cigarettes. Adding appealing flavors makes it even more inviting for young people to try vaping. For many, the social aspect of vaping outweighs the dangers of vaping.*
MYTH: Vaping helps people stop smoking.
Tobacco and vaping companies have marketed vapes as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes. They have also marketed vapes as a tool to help people quit smoking. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not found vaping to be safe and effective in helping people quit smoking regular cigarettes. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any vape for smoking cessation.
MYTH: Vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes.
Cigarettes contain poisons, toxic metals, and cancer-causing chemicals that enter the body with every puff. People who vape also breathe in similar or some of the same dangerous chemicals.
MYTH: Vaping produces harmless water vapor.
Even though the term ‘vapor’ is commonly used, vape devices do not produce water vapor. Vape devices produce an aerosol. Unlike water vapor, the aerosol includes ultra-fine particles that are breathed into the lungs.
MYTH: Vaping does not create secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke is a health risk for anyone who is around those who smoke cigarettes and vapes. In addition, thirdhand smoke on clothes and furniture is smelly and can be dangerous for people with respiratory conditions. While vaping does not produce the same smelly fumes as regular cigarettes, secondhand vape aerosol contains chemicals and compounds that pollute indoor air. Even though you may not smell it, thirdhand particulates cling to surfaces and dust and can be breathed deep into the lungs or absorbed through the skin.
MYTH: It is easy to quit vaping.
One vape pod delivers as much addictive nicotine as 30 cigarettes. Vaping trains the brain to expect more nicotine and creates the desire to vape even more. The teen brain is especially susceptible to the effects of nicotine. That makes it harder to stop vaping and increases the chance that teens will go on to use cigarettes, too. Learn more about how to help your teen quit when they are ready.
More Myths
Download our Vaping Myths handout and explore other downloadable resources on our Communications and Media page.
* Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Reducing Vaping Among Youth and Young Adults.
Vaping can make it difficult to concentrate, remember things, and make decisions. The high levels of nicotine in vapes make it harder to think straight and often make you feel like you have brain fog.