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Teen Vaping: What You Need to Know
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Family Resource Center Drugs & Alcohol

Teen Vaping: What You Need to Know

E-cigarettes are highly addictive, and young people may not recognize the risks and side effects

Writer: Katherine Martinelli

Clinical Expert: Sarper Taskiran, MD

en Español

Key Takeaways

  • Vaping has become more popular than traditional cigarettes among teens, with many using e-cigarettes despite legal restrictions.

  • Vaping poses significant health risks including nicotine addiction, exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, serious lung problems, and increased likelihood of switching to traditional cigarettes.

  • E-cigarettes are attractive to teens because they lack strong odors, come in kid-friendly flavors, and are easy to purchase online despite age restrictions.

Although e-cigarettes have been around for two decades and vaping rates have dropped in recent years, parents still have plenty to be nervous about. E-cigarettes remain the most frequently used tobacco product among adolescents — some 1.44 million middle and high school students were e-cigarette users in 2025 (down from 2.1 million in 2017) — double that of traditional cigarettes. Nicotine pouches — smokeless tobacco products such as Zyns — are also popular. While they haven’t surpassed vaping among teens, they are used more commonly than cigarettes.

JUUL — a popular vape device that looks like a flash drive and can be charged in a USB port — used to be the biggest game in town. But the landscape has changed. Disposable e-cigarettes such as Geek Bar and Vuse are now the bigger threat; they are cheaper, easier to purchase, easily disguised, and come in kid-friendly flavors like cotton candy and watermelon. While it’s illegal to sell e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 21, kids — as they always have — find ways around this. Most teens get them from people they know, like a friend, family member, or peer. But they also get them from retail stores, via social media, and online. Less than a quarter report having their age verified.

Education about the side effects of vaping and regulations against e-cigarettes have been effective at curbing usage, though many argue there is still a long way to go. In 2018, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an Advisory on E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and declared youth vaping an epidemic in the United States. Then in 2020 the federal government banned flavors (except tobacco and menthol) from refillable e-cigarettes. However, disposable vapes were not included and are now more popular thanks in large part to their flavor varieties.

What is vaping?

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by a heated substance — such as nicotine liquid — in an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette or e-cig).

What originated as a smoking cessation aid has quickly became a popular — and addictive — product in its own right. Sarper Taskiran, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute, attributes the recent rise in popularity to packaging and advertising. “The teens are after innovation and they’re attracted by sleek design and ease of use,” he says. “They look like an Apple product.”

Although vaping companies emphatically deny that they are marketing to young people, critics note such features in their advertising as youthful images and colors, animation, actors who appear to be under 21, and suggestions that vaping makes you happier and improves your social status.

What are the risks and side effects of vaping?

Since e-cigarettes are much newer than traditional cigarettes, we are still learning about their long-term impact. The most recent research  indicates that vaping is not necessarily a healthier alternative to smoking. And teens are especially vulnerable.

E-cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine, which makes vaping extremely addictive. Teens are already more susceptible to addiction than adults because their brains are still developing, which makes them more likely to habituate to using drugs and alcohol. Youth who vape are three to four times more likely than those who abstain to start smoking.

Addiction can impact the ability to focus. Dr. Taskiran has observed this with the adolescents he works with, who report that vaping initially increases their alertness and attention, but they then experience a decrease in attention span. One student, for example, was able to sit through practice ACT exams but after vaping for six months “can’t sit still because she starts craving, can’t think of questions, and just starts fidgeting.”

The impact on mental health is especially important to note. There are links between vaping and an increased risk of suicidal behaviors, especially among adolescents. Youth who vape are also more likely to develop anxiety, depression, and panic disorder. 

Then there’s the physical health impact. One study found that vaping does, in fact, cause lung irritation akin to that seen in smokers and people with lung disease and causes damage to vital immune system cells. Other studies have linked it to increased risk for asthma.

Dr. Taskiran notes that vaping increases heart rate and blood pressure, so can increase circulatory problems. One teen he works with started vaping and found that his swim times dropped because he can no longer sustain the heart rate required for swimming.

Since they leave little odor, e-cigarettes are particularly easy to hide and even use discreetly in public places, including school. Kids are also vaping marijuana at increasing rates, which brings its own health risks.

Why parents should be concerned

One problem with vaping is that teens hear that it’s not as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes and many think there is no harm. “They really think that they are mostly flavors and that they are inhaling a pleasant gas,” says Dr. Taskiran.

The packaging does little to convey the risks. “They are very enticing the way they look. It’s not transparent at all. It says five percent nicotine, which sounds like nothing, so teens think 95 percent is water weight or vapor,” laments Dr. Taskiran.

Plus, he points out, smoking never stopped being cool. It’s still positively portrayed in movies, and e-cigarette brands have re-branded it to make vaping an even cooler alternative. But vaping isn’t only for the cool kids — many teens are curious (with flavors like mango, cucumber and crème, who wouldn’t be?) and presented with the opportunity will give it a try.

How to talk to kids about vaping

Dr. Taskiran advises parents to start by educating themselves, so they know what they’re talking about going in, and to take an inquisitive and curious approach to what their teen’s experience is. “The most important thing is keeping it as a dialogue,” he says. “Declarative statements like ‘It’s bad for you’ just end the conversation.”

Dr. Taskiran recommends starting the conversation more generally by asking if a lot of kids at school vape. Once the conversation is initiated, you can slowly work up to asking things like, “What is your experience with that? What are the flavors like?” He also suggests getting a sense of what they know (or think they know) about the product, which gives you an opening to start educating them.

Of course, while parents need to educate themselves, the onus isn’t entirely on them. “Schools need to own this as well and provide educational strategies for both teachers and students,” says Dr. Taskiran. Prevention is a lot easier than treatment later on, he says, and notes that peer education can play a particularly important role.

If you are concerned that your child has become addicted there are plenty of treatment options. Dr. Taskiran recommends consulting with a clinician who is well-versed in addiction treatments. “This is a true nicotine addiction,” he says. “People usually think this is different from cigarette use — but it can be more severe than cigarette use.”

For tips on how to talk to teenagers about vaping, check out this guide from the Partnership to End Addiction.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my teenager is vaping?

If your teenager is vaping, start by educating yourself on the topic and ask your teen open-ended questions about their experience. If your teen has developed a nicotine addiction, there are several treatment options available.

Why do teens vape?

Teens often vape because vapes come in fun flavors and have sleek enticing packaging. Teens have been led to believe that vapes are much less harmful than cigarettes.

Why is vaping bad for teens?

Vaping is bad for teens because it can cause extreme nicotine addiction, loss of concentration, lung illness, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and damage to the immune system.

Last reviewed or updated on October 15, 2026.

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References

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Drugs & Alcohol
Katherine Martinelli
Katherine Martinelli is a journalist who has published internationally on a variety of topics including parenting, food, travel and education. … Read Bio

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