Vaping refers to the act of inhaling and exhaling aerosol, harmful particles suspended in a heated gas produced by an electronic device. Vaping is a delivery method, not a substance. The same device that delivers nicotine can also be used to inhale cannabis, other chemicals, or substances marketed as wellness or health products.

That's an important distinction that often gets lost: vaping is not tied to one substance. The wellness and supplement industry has moved into this space, marketing vaping devices that claim to deliver vitamins, melatonin, essential oils, and herbal compounds. But regardless of what's being marketed, the act of heating any substance and inhaling it into the lungs carries real risks because heat changes chemistry.

Understanding vaping means understanding the device, what goes into it, and what actually enters your body when you inhale. Whether you're a teen curious about what vaping really is, or a parent trying to understand what your child might be exposed to, this page breaks it down clearly.

What is Vaping?

The device

E-cigarettes, also called vapes, vape pens, e-pens, or e-cigs, are electronic devices designed to heat a liquid into aerosol. They typically include:

  • A battery (which can malfunction and cause fires or explosions)
  • A cartridge, pod, or tank pre-filled or refillable with liquid
  • A heating element (coil) that aerosolizes the liquid

When the coil heats up, tiny pieces of metal — including nickel and tin — can break off and become part of the aerosol that is inhaled into the lungs.

What can be vaped?

Vaping devices can be used to inhale a wide range of substances:

  • Nicotine: the most common substance vaped; found in e-cigarettes and vape products marketed for adults and teens.
  • Cannabis / THC: cannabis vaping products are increasingly popular and come in youth-friendly designs and flavors.
  • CBD and wellness products: Some products are marketed as non-psychoactive or therapeutic, but many are not regulated and can still carry health risks
  • "Health" vaping products: a growing category of devices marketed to deliver vitamins (like B12), melatonin, essential oils, herbal extracts, and other supplements. Companies market these as safe, natural, or even beneficial — but the science does not support these claims.
  • Nicotine salts (nic salts): Many vaping products use nicotine salts, a form of nicotine that is smoother on the throat and absorbs into the body much more rapidly than standard nicotine. This means the impact on the brain is faster and more intense, increasing addiction potential, even at high concentrations.
  • Other chemicals: flavoring compounds, vitamin additives, and other substances that are often inadequately studied for inhalation safety

The device doesn't make the substance safe. What matters is what you're inhaling, and how often.

What heat does to what you inhale

This is one of the most important, and least talked about, facts about vaping: heating a substance changes its chemistry. What you put into a device is not the same as what comes out.

When any liquid is heated to create an aerosol, chemical reactions occur. Compounds that may be harmless in their original form can transform into entirely new and harmful substances when exposed to high temperatures.

A well-known example: propylene glycol, a common e-liquid ingredient, breaks down under heat into formaldehyde gas, a known carcinogen. This same process happens with other compounds, including flavoring chemicals, oils, and herbal extracts used in "wellness" vaping products.

What this means in plain terms:

  • Inhaling a vitamin doesn't work the way taking a vitamin does. The lungs are not designed to process supplements, they are designed to exchange oxygen.
  • Essential oils that are safe to smell or apply to skin can become irritants or toxic compounds when heated and inhaled directly into lung tissue.
  • Flavoring chemicals — even those generally recognized as safe for eating — have been linked to serious lung disease when inhaled, because inhalation bypasses the protections of the digestive system entirely.
  • The heating coil itself sheds microscopic particles of nickel, tin, and lead into the aerosol, regardless of what substance is in the device.

No substance becomes safer because it's delivered through a vape. Heat changes chemistry, and your lungs pay the price.

What's really in the aerosol?

E-cigarette aerosol is not water vapor. The liquid inside a vaping device contains more than 100 compounds. When heated and turned into aerosol, additional compounds are created. What you, your friends, and your pets breathe in can include:

  • Acrolein — a weed killer
  • Benzene — found in car exhaust
  • Formaldehyde — used to preserve dead bodies; a known carcinogen
  • Nickel, tin, and lead — heavy metals that break off the heating coil
  • Nicotine — highly addictive; present in 99.6% of e-cigarette products
  • Propylene glycol — used in antifreeze
  • Volatile organic compounds — found in rat poison, paint thinner, and cleaning products
  • Ultrafine particles — microscopic particles that travel deep into the lungs, causing scarring and inflammation

What you can do

  • Educate yourself

    Learn what's in vaping devices and aerosols, and what substances can be delivered through them.

  • Talk about it

    Have honest conversations with people you trust.

    Family Conversation Guide

  • Say no

    Knowing how to navigate peer pressure is a real skill. Practice it.

  • Seek help

    If you or someone you know wants to stop vaping, support is available.

Why It Matters

Vaping might look like steam — harmless, almost invisible. But what's inside that aerosol can cause serious and lasting harm, regardless of what substance is being vaped. The risks depend on what's in the device, but no vaping is risk-free.

  • Brain Impact

    • Vaping nicotine during adolescence alters brain development, changing how synapses form and affecting learning, mood, and impulse control

    • Vaping cannabis during adolescence is linked to the same brain development risks as smoking it, with the added risk of EVALI

      • EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury) is a serious, sometimes fatal, inflammatory lung condition caused by vaping, primarily linked to Vitamin E acetate in THC products, though nicotine products can also cause it. Symptoms include severe cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Treatment often involves hospitalization, steroids, and oxygen (source: ALA)

    • The adolescent brain is especially vulnerable to addiction-forming substances delivered rapidly, as vaping allows

  • Physical Health Impact

    • Nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure and narrows blood vessels, reducing blood flow

    • Inhaled chemicals, whether from nicotine or cannabis vaping, cause lung inflammation and irritation even in otherwise healthy individuals

    • EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury) is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition linked to vaping

    • Malfunction of vaping devices can lead to fires or explosions, causing burns and facial injuries

    • Accidental exposure to e-liquid, through skin contact or ingestion, can cause nicotine poisoning, especially dangerous for children or pets

    Lung Impact

    • Vaping damages cilia, the airway's natural defense system

    • Ultrafine particles travel deep into the lungs, causing scarring and inflammation

    • Heating flavoring chemicals creates new toxic compounds linked to lung disease

    • Vaping impairs the lung's ability to fight off infections and can trigger asthma flare-ups

  • Mental Health Impact

    • Vaping-delivered nicotine can worsen anxiety and depression

    • The rapid delivery of substances through vaping increases addiction risk and can intensify mood disruption during withdrawal

    • Cannabis vaped at high concentrations may increase the risk of paranoia, psychosis, and anxiety, especially in young users

  • Social Impact

    • Vaping is often framed as social, but peer pressure to participate can rapidly lead to dependence

    • Students who vape may face disciplinary consequences at school

    • Secrecy around vaping can strain relationships with family and caregivers

  • Financial Impact

    • The cost of devices, replacement pods, coils, and e-liquid adds up to hundreds or thousands of dollars per year

    • Disposable vapes are particularly expensive relative to how quickly they're consumed

    • Fines and legal consequences for underage possession or use

  • Environmental Impact

    • Discarded vaping devices, pods, and cartridges contribute to growing electronic waste

    • E-liquid spills leak harmful chemicals into soil and water

    • Many vaping products contain plastics and metals that don't biodegrade

  • Extracurriculars & Athletics Impact

    • Vaping impairs lung capacity and cardiovascular performance

    • The body's ability to recover from injury or illness is slowed

    • Fatigue and health effects can mean missed practices, performances, or games

  • Other surprising impacts of vaping

    • Many e-cigarette devices come with the risk of malfunction. This can lead to fires or explosions that can cause serious injuries, including burns and facial trauma.

    • Accidental exposure to e-liquid—either by swallowing or through skin absorption—can result in life-threatening consequences, especially for young children or pets who encounter improperly stored vapes.

    • Vape aerosol contains harmful chemicals like nicotine, formaldehyde, and Volatile Compounds posing risks to bystanders especially those with respiratory conditions.

Resources to Quit or Learn More

  • Quit Partner (Minnesota)

  • My Life, My Quit™ (Ages 13–17)

    • Text "Start My Quit" to 36072
    • Call 1-855-891-9989 to speak with a coach
    • Confidential. Built for teens.

  • Truth Initiative — This Is Quitting

  • Truth Initiative — Outsmart Nicotine

  • teen.smokefree.gov

    • Tools, tips, and support for teens who want to quit

  • American Lung Association

    • Minnesota: 1-844-251-0005
    • Wisconsin: 1-866-784-8454
    • Spanish: 1-855-335-3569
    • Wisconsin Quit Line: quitline.wisc.edu

  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Vaping devices have become harder to identify and easier for teens to hide. Staying informed about what vaping devices look like, what substances they can deliver, and how to open up non-judgmental conversations with your teen is one of the most effective things a caregiver can do. Visit the Confident Caregiver Page for tools and resources.

This project is possible, fully or in part, as a result of grant funding recommended by the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council (OERAC) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official policies the Minnesota Department of Human services; nor mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the state of Minnesota.