VAPE 101
Make your own call.
Vape juice is made with weed killer, sus chemicals in car exhaust, and straight up formaldehyde. Like, the same formaldehyde used to embalm corpses.
It’s meant to go in dead bodies. Not yours.
1 vape pod is the equivalent of smoking 90 cigarettes — and the potency (and lifelong side effects) of cartridges just keep rising.
Vaping isn’t giving cute and harmless. It’s giving irreversible lung disease, deeper depression, higher anxiety, worsening eating disorder symptoms, and suicidal ideation.
Big Vape is highkey using you. They’re cashing in on teen vape use, with nearly half of all Pennsylvania highschoolers who vape using their vape pen daily.
But their success depends solely on you falling for the fake hype — which means you have the power to bring them down.
Let’s play a quick little game of
(The prize is the power to make your own decisions.)
Everyone vapes.
It’s not a big deal.
Actually, only 6% of middle + high schoolers use vapes — and only 8% of teens in Pennsylvania have vaped in the last 30 days.
It feels more popular because Big Vape spends billions to make you feel that way.
On the flipside, Vaping’s on the decline because teens like you are getting smart about nicotine use.
It’s just water vapor. Vaping is no different than inhaling steam in the shower.
Uh, last time we checked, the steam in your shower doesn’t have tons of nicotine, cancer-causing chemicals, and heavy metals that lead to lung disease.
Water makes water vapor. Vape clouds make poisonous gas. (Not kidding.)
Vaping is better than smoking, so it’s fine.
One vape pod is equal to smoking about 90 cigarettes — so chances are, you’re getting higher levels of nicotine than you realize.
Either way, no nicotine is safe for teens. It harms your brain development up until you’re 25, giving you a permanent shorter attention span, decreased ability to learn new things, harsher mood swings, and less control over your impulses.
Vaping really isn’t addictive at all.
Nicotine is highly addictive. In 2024, more than 25% of vapers felt the need to use it every day. 38% of users vaped more than 20 days in the last month.
And beyond the physical component, it’s psychologically addictive. The ritual of vaping becomes a habit, and habits can lead to addiction.
Vapes create patterns that are consistent with the definition of addictive behavior.
Vapes without
nicotine are
totally safe.
99% of all vape produce sold in the U.S. contain high levels of nicotine — even when you don’t realize it. (They’re intentionally sneaky that way.)
If you happen to magically find one that’s truly nicotine-free, the aerosols in those vapes still deliver a hefty dose of toxins to your lungs.
The flavors are harmless + just make it taste better.
The candy flavorings try to hide the cancer-causing stuff. The chemicals in vape flavorings damage the lungs, heart, and immune system — even if the vape doesn’t have nicotine.
It only hurts you, so why does anyone else care?
First off, people care because they care about you. (Don’t believe it? Reach out to one of the instant support lines right here.)
But just like secondhand smoke can kill, secondhand vape clouds cause harm, too. One person’s choice to vape can hurt the health of a whole friend group.
If they aren’t meant for teens, why isn’t there an age restriction to buy ‘em?
Federal law says buying vapes (or vape cartridges/pods) under the age of 21 is illegal. Whether it’s online or IRL, ID is always required.
Vaping makes you feel better. It’s good for your mental health.
While vaping might feel like it boosts your mood or quiets your anxiety, it’s always sneaking around in the background to make your mental health worse.
From stress levels and anger, to depression and panic attacks, vaping increases the frequency and intensity of mood swings and Big Feels.
Wanna explore simple skills that work longterm? Take a gander at the Teens + Students Resources Page.
