Electronic cigarette, also called an e-cigarette, delivers the addictive drug nicotine and other substances to a user’s lungs. A traditional cigarette works by burning tobacco, a plant that contains nicotine. E-cigarettes do not burn. They typically use a liquid mixture of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. A tiny electric heater vaporizes this liquid mixture, turning it into an aerosol (fine mist). A user inhales the aerosol. The nicotine and other substances rapidly absorb through the lungs and move through the blood to the brain. The use of an e-cigarette is often called vaping, a reference to the vapors that the user inhales.
Some e-cigarettes look like plastic tobacco cigarettes. Others resemble pipes, pens, or other objects and may be called vaporizers. An e-cigarette may include a rechargeable battery and replaceable liquid cartridges for repeated use.
Liquid for use in e-cigarettes may contain nicotine, THC, or CBD oils. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is a mind-altering chemical found in marijuana. CBD (cannabidiol) oils are also chemicals found in marijuana but are not mind altering.
E-cigarettes are often marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. Sometimes, people who want to stop smoking cigarettes begin to use e-cigarettes as an alternative. But health experts disagree on whether vaping helps people stop smoking. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits promoting the use of e-cigarettes for this purpose.
Because e-cigarettes are not burned, they produce fewer dangerous chemicals than do tobacco cigarettes. But e-cigarettes do still expose users to dangerous chemicals. Particles like those in e-cigarette aerosols can inflame the lungs. Such particles have been linked to heart and lung diseases and cancer. When an e-cigarette user exhales, these dangerous substances can also affect nearby people. In addition, nicotine itself is a dangerous drug that is extremely addictive, especially to adolescents.
In 2019 and 2020, an outbreak of lung injuries caused by vaping emerged in the United States. Over 2,800 people sustained serious damage to their lungs, and at least 68 people died. The condition was named EVALI (short for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury). Researchers determined that an ingredient called vitamin E acetate probably caused EVALI. In Canada and in some U.S. states, the ingredient is banned from use in certain vape products.
In 2020, the FDA banned the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes. The ban was introduced to prevent teenagers from becoming addicted to nicotine. Flavored e-cigarettes had become particularly popular with middle schoolers and high schoolers. Despite the ban, millions of teenagers continued to use flavored e-cigarettes.
