What is Vaping?

What is vaping? Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, which is produced by an e-cigarette or similar device.

A new wave of smaller vapes has swept through schools in recent months, replacing bulkier e-cigarettes. It’s now common in some schools to find students crowded into bathrooms to vape, or performing vape tricks in class.

• The devices heat liquid into an inhalable vapor that’s sold in sugary flavors like mango and mint — and often with the addictive drug nicotine.
• They’re marketed to smokers as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, but officials say they’re making their way to teens with surprising ease.
• Vaping devices are notoriously difficult to detect for schools, often leaving behind only a quick puff of vapor and a light fruity scent.
• Students get awaywith it in bathrooms, halls and even classrooms, where some say they exhale the vapor into their shirts.
• Although buyinge-cigarettes is illegal under age 18 — and some states have bumped the minimum age to 21 — students say they can buy them online or from older friends.”
• Some say there are dozens available for sale in school hallways at any given time.
• Some schoolshave been inundated by the Juul, which dispenses a flavored vapor containing higher concentrations of nicotine than tobacco cigarettes.

Why it matters: Vaping has become increasingly popular with teenagers. While high schools have typically experienced the most problems, some schools say vaping is spreading to middle schools. Have a discussion with your child about vaping, ask what they have seen, and talk about the addictive and harmful results of vaping.