ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
» E-cigarettes have the potential to benefit adult smokers who are not
pregnant if used as a complete substitute for regular cigarettes and
other smoked tobacco products.
» E-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or
adults who do not currently use tobacco products.
» While e-cigarettes have the potential to benefit some people and harm
others, scientists still have a lot to learn about whether e-cigarettes are
effective for quitting smoking.
» If you’ve never smoked or used other tobacco products or e-cigarettes,
don’t start.
WHAT ARE E-CIGARETTES?
» E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,”
“mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems.”
» Some e-cigarettes are made to look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some resemble pens,
USB sticks, and other everyday items.
» 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.
» E-cigarettes can be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs.
Tanks & Mods Rechargeable Disposable
e-cigarette e-cigarette
CS298852-A
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WHAT IS IN E-CIGARETTE AEROSOL?
THE E-CIGARETTE AEROSOL THAT USERS BREATHE FROM THE DEVICE AND
EXHALE CAN CONTAIN HARMFUL AND POTENTIALLY HARMFUL SUBSTANCES:
CANCER-CAUSING
VOLATILE CHEMICALS
ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS
ULTRAFINE HEAVY METALS SUCH AS
PARTICLES NICKEL, TIN, AND LEAD
NICOTINE
FLAVORING SUCH AS
DIACETYL, A CHEMICAL
LINKED TO A SERIOUS
LUNG DISEASE
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.
ARE E-CIGARETTES LESS HARMFUL THAN REGULAR CIGARETTES?
E-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer toxic
chemicals than the deadly mix of 7,000 chemicals in
VS smoke from regular cigarettes. However, e-cigarette
aerosol is not harmless. It can contain harmful and
potentially harmful substances, including nicotine,
heavy metals like lead, volatile organic compounds,
YES, but that doesn’t and cancer-causing agents.
mean e-cigarettes are safe.
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WHAT ARE THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF USING E-CIGARETTES?
SCIENTISTS ARE STILL LEARNING ABOUT THE LONG-TERM HEALTH EFFECTS
OF E-CIGARETTES. HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW NOW.
1Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which has
known health effects
»» Nicotine is highly addictive.
»» Nicotine is toxic to developing fetuses.
» Nicotine can harm adolescent brain development,
which continues into the early to mid-20s.
» Nicotine is a health danger for pregnant women
and their developing babies.
2
Besides nicotine, e-cigarette aerosol can contain
substances that harm the body.
»» This includes cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles
that reach deep into lungs. However, e-cigarette aerosol
generally contains fewer harmful chemicals than smoke
from burned tobacco products.
3
E-cigarettes can cause unintended injuries.
»» Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused fires and
explosions, some of which have resulted in serious
injuries.
»» In addition, acute nicotine exposure can be toxic.
Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing,
breathing, or absorbing e-cigarette liquid.
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CAN E-CIGARETTES HELP ADULTS QUIT SMOKING CIGARETTES?
E-CIGARETTES ARE NOT CURRENTLY APPROVED BY THE
FDA AS A QUIT SMOKING AID.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a group of health experts that makes recommendations
about preventive health care, concluded that the evidence is insufficient to recommend e-cigarettes
for smoking cessation in adults, including pregnant women.
HOWEVER, e-cigarettes
may help non-pregnant adult
smokers if used as a complete
substitute for all cigarettes and
other smoked tobacco products.
TO DATE, THE FEW STUDIES ON THE ISSUE ARE MIXED.
Evidence from two randomized controlled trials found that e-cigarettes with nicotine can help smokers
stop smoking in the long term compared with placebo (non-nicotine) e-cigarettes.
A recent CDC study 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 (“dual use”). Because smoking even a few cigarettes a day can be
dangerous, quitting smoking completely is very important to protect your health.
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WHO IS USING E-CIGARETTES?
E-CIGARETTES ARE THE MOST COMMONLY USED
TOBACCO PRODUCT AMONG YOUTH.
In 2018, more than
3.6 MILLION
U.S. middle and high school
students used e-cigarettes in
4.9% the past 30 days, including:
20.8%
MIDDLE SCHOOL
IN THE U.S., STUDENTS HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS
YOUTH ARE
MORE LIKELY
THAN ADULTS
TO USE
E-CIGARETTE
AMONG CURRENT E-CIGARETTE USERS AGED 45 YEARS AND OLDER
in 2015, most were either current or former regular cigarette smokers, and
1.3% had never been cigarette smokers.
IN CONTRAST, AMONG CURRENT E-CIGARETTE USERS AGED 18–24 YEARS,
40.0% had NEVER BEEN regular cigarette smokers
In 2017, 2.8%
IN 2015, AMONG ADULT E-CIGARETTE of U.S. adults were current
USERS OVERALL: e-cigarette users
29.8%
were former
regular cigarette
58.8%
were current regular
smokers
cigarette smokers
11.4%
had never been
regular cigarette
smokers
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