Vaping and E-Cigarettes - Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

Vaping hurts your…

Lungs

Vapes deposit heavy metals like nickel, lead, and arsenic into your lungs.

Toxic chemicals damage your lungs which can lead to coughing, asthma, and bronchitis.

➡️ What it feels like: Coughing.

Heart

Vaping stresses your heart, increasing your risk for blood clotting and future heart attacks.

➡️ What it feels like: Increased heart rate.

Brain

Vaping nicotine changes your brain.

Nicotine changes motivation, learning, memory, and focus.

Starting young can make it even harder to quit.

➡️ What it feels like: Trouble concentrating and difficulty quitting vaping.

Mental health

Vaping increases feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.

➡️ What it feels like: Jitteriness, excessive worrying, and constantly thinking about vaping.

Relationships

Damages trust with family and friends.

Influences loved ones to start vaping.

Decision-making

Vape marketing tactics are targeted to youth.

Is Big Tobacco manipulating you into spending your money on vape products?

Environment

Vapes contain toxic chemicals like benzene (car exhaust), formaldehyde (dead body preservative), and lead (heavy metal).

Discarded vapes can poison animals and leak toxic chemicals into the earth and groundwater.

Get help quitting

This is Quitting
Text DITCHVAPE to 88709.

Smokefree Teen
Text QUIT to 47848.

2Morrow Health App
Free and anonymous app to help you quit.

Washington State Quitline
Call (800) QUIT-NOW or (800) 784-8669.

Washington Teen Link
Text or call (866) 833-6546.

988 Crisis Line
Text or call 988.

Native & Strong Lifeline—for Native people
Call 988 and then press 4, or call (866) 491-1683.

The Trevor Project—for LGBTQIA2S+ people
Text START to 678‑678 or call (866) 488-7386.

Washington Recovery Help Line
Call (866) 789-1511.

Industry targeting

🎯 Commercial tobacco and vape companies target specific communities to make more money, including youth, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities.

🎯 Companies use social media ads, misleading marketing, and attractive packaging and flavors to appeal to youth.

Nicotine spotlight

➡️ Nicotine is the toxic chemical found in cigarettes and vapor products.

➡️ Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that harms teen brain development.

➡️ Nicotine negatively affects motivation, learning, memory, and focus.

New trend to watch

⚠️ Nicotine pouches

Nicotine pouches are oral nicotine products that contain high levels of nicotine and are easy to hide. Brands like Zyn, on!, and rogue have skyrocketed in popularity. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that is especially dangerous for youth, young adults, and pregnant people.

Did you know?

90% of Pierce County teens choose healthy ways to de-stress and don’t vape.

Read why Pierce County youth think their peers vape and what helps them choose not to.

Healthy coping

It might feel easy to grab a vape when you’re feeling stressed—but nicotine actually makes it harder to de-stress. There are more ways to relax besides yoga or meditation—here are some things to try next time you feel stressed:

Touch grass. Take a walk in nature.

Get creative. Make some art or play music.

Listen to music, podcast, or an audiobook.

Read a book or comic.

Cook or bake something delicious.

Volunteer or help a friend, family member, or neighbor.

Call a friend. Talk to someone you care about.

Spend time with animals.

Take a phone or social media break.

Mental health help

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—Connect with compassionate, accessible care and support for mental health-related distress any hour of any day: Call 988.

Crisis Text Line—Talk with a crisis counselor anytime, from anywhere in the United States: Text CONNECT to 74174.

Native & Strong Lifeline—A help line for Native people: Call 988 and then press 4, or call (866) 491-1683.

Teen Link—A help line for teens, by teens: Call (866) 833-6546.

Trevor Project—Info and support for LGBTQIA2S+ people 13–25 years old any hour of any day: Call (866) 488-7386 or text START to 678678.

Trans Lifeline—A help line for trans people, by trans people any day, 7–1 a.m.: Call (877) 565-8860.

Addiction recovery—Call (866) 789-1511.

If you or someone near you is having a
life-threatening crisis, call 911.