“While the puffs from e-cigs aren't exactly smoke, the term “vapor” often brings to mind an innocuous cloud of water. Public health experts argue “aerosol” is a more accurate description, as e-cigarette clouds have been shown to contain harmful chemicals that may hang in the air and settle on nearby surfaces.”
– Carly Cassella, Science Alert, September 2020
A recent study on the perceptions of e-cigarette terminology, e-cigarette users did not see themselves as "smokers.” Terms like “vapor,” which tend to downplay the risk of secondhand exposure, may very well contribute to widespread use. The study concluded that health campaigns should use accurate terminology to describe e-cigarette emissions, rather than jargon that conveys lower risk.
(Matthew E. Rossheim, Xiaoquan Zhao, Eric K. Soule, Dennis L. Thombs, Sumihiro Suzuki, Asra Ahmad & Tracey E. Barnett. “Aerosol, vapor, or chemicals? College student perceptions of harm from electronic cigarettes and support for a tobacco-free campus policy.” Journal of American College Health. 2020.)
"Yeah, it looks like smoke but you got to correct them if it's in like a public environment, just so that it's clarified that it's vapor," said one young adult.
E-cigarettes can resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes (cig-a-likes), cigars, or pipes, or even everyday items like pens or USB memory sticks. Other devices, such as those with fillable tanks, may look different. Regardless of their design and appearance, these devices generally operate in a similar manner and are made of similar components. More than 460 different e-cigarette brands are currently on the market. Some common nicknames for e-cigarettes are:
e-cigs
e-hookahs
hookah pens
vapes
vape pens
mods (customizable, more powerful vaporizers)
(“Vaping Devices (Electronic Cigarettes) DrugFacts.” National Institute on Drug Abuse. 2020.)
Today, e-cigarettes are the most prevalent form of tobacco use among young people, in large part because they've been marketed as a safe alternative to regular cigarettes.
In a 2017 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of middle and high school students said they'd been exposed to secondhand tobacco product emissions in indoor or outdoor public places.
The U.S. Surgeon general has called the increase of e-cigarette use among young people a public health "epidemic,” and scientists are worried it could reverse decades of hard work on tobacco use.
According to the CDC, E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine – the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products – flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs. Bystanders can also breathe in this aerosol when the user exhales into the air.
It is difficult for consumers to know what e-cigarette products contain. For example, some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine.
The e-cigarette aerosol that users breathe from the device and exhale can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including:
Nicotine
Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
Flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease
Volatile organic compounds
Cancer-causing chemicals
Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead
(US Department of Health and Human Services. “E-cigarette use among youth and young adults: a report of the Surgeon General.” US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2016.)
A recent CDC study [PDF–197 KB] found that many adults are using e-cigarettes in an attempt to quit smoking. However, most adult e-cigarette users do not stop smoking cigarettes and are instead continuing to use both products (known as “dual use”). Dual use is not an effective way to safeguard your health, whether you’re using e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or other tobacco products in addition to regular cigarettes. Because smoking even a few cigarettes a day can be dangerous, quitting smoking completely is very important to protect your health.
(Caraballo RS, Shafer PR, Patel D, Davis KC, McAfee TA. “Quit Methods Used by US Adult Cigarette Smokers, 2014–2016.” Prev Chronic Dis 2017.)
Johns Hopkins Medicine cites five vaping facts everyone needs to know:
1: Vaping Is Less Harmful Than Smoking, but It’s Still Not Safe
2: Research Suggests Vaping Is Bad for Your Heart and Lungs
3: Electronic Cigarettes Are Just As Addictive As Traditional Ones
4: Electronic Cigarettes Aren’t the Best Smoking Cessation Tool
5: A New Generation Is Getting Hooked on Nicotine
(Michael Joseph Blaha, M.D., M.P.H. “5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know.” www.hopkinsmedicine.org. The Johns Hopkins University. 2020.)
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