Learn About Vaping

New research has found that vaping increases the risk of developing chronic lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. This risk is even higher for those who use both e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes.

There are also health risks linked to the chemicals found in vaping products. E-cigarettes contain some chemicals both suspected and known to cause cancer as well as particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause cardiovascular damage. The process of heating the e-liquid can produce additional chemicals with unknown health effects. 

There have been 20 reported cases of severe vaping-related lung illness in Canada and over 2400 in the US, linked to exposure to certain chemicals in vaping e-liquids.

• In Canada, there has been one case of "popcorn lung disease", linked to a chemical called diacetyl found in some flavoured e-liquids. This disease is a form of chemical burn in the lungs
• Vitamin E acetate has been identified as a chemical of concern in the US outbreak of vaping-related illness
• In the US, there was a case of cobalt lung disease, caused by inhaling an e-liquid that contained heavy metal particles which then settle into the lungs

• Recent research has shown that people who use vaping products may be at a higher risk of heart disease.
• Using a vaping product just once was shown to increase people's heart rates and cause their arteries to stiffen, and may cause damage to the lining of the arteries responsible for regulating inflammation and blood clotting. All of these conditions can lead to heart disease.

Nicotine is not known to cause cancer. It is approved for use in nicotine replacement therapies, such as the patch or nicotine gum. However, there are risks linked to nicotine and it is a highly addictive substance. As well, exposure to nicotine from smoking is known to contribute to increased heart rate and blood pressure and to cardiovascular disease, and it is suspected that nicotine exposure from vaping has similar long-term cardiovascular effects.

• Vaping products contain nicotine in various concentrations, compared to more standardized amounts found in cigarettes and nicotine replacement therapy. Some products contain much higher levels of nicotine than cigarettes. The effects of these concentrations and inhaling nicotine aerosol are still being studied.
• Vaping with nicotine can also lead to side effects like seizures or blackouts, due to inhaling too much nicotine in a short period of time. This is considered a form of nicotine poisoning. The majority of incidences have been among youth so far, according to report from the US.

Young people are especially susceptible to the negative effects of nicotine, such as addiction, and to the effects of other chemicals found in vaping products. Vaping products can contain flavourings such as fruit or candy -based flavours, which are popular among children and youth and contain harmful chemicals. Nicotine is known to alter brain development and can affect memory and concentration in young people. Vaping can cause addiction to nicotine more easily in young people. It can also cause young people to start using tobacco and other drugs.

Nicotine can be harmful to fetal development and can lead to adverse effects in brain or lung development and to low birth weight.

Bystanders can also be exposed to aerosol that is exhaled when someone vapes, and the effects of this exposure are not yet known. While the risks of aerosol are expected to be much lower than tobacco smoke, Health Canada recommends that people using e-cigarettes be cautious around non-users and children.

There have been injuries due to vaping product malfunctions, including explosions and fires. For more information on product safety requirements, and how to protect yourself, read about vaping product, safety and regulation.

While some people have found success using vaping to quit smoking, vaping is not a proven quit method and it carries distinct risks that aren’t fully understood. There are many safe and effective methods that have been proven to help you quit smoking.

Click here to learn more about the methods that are proven to help you quit or reduce smoking or other tobacco use.

QuitNow offers personalized coaching to help you quit or reduce vaping, by phone or live chat, free of charge.

The only way to fully protect yourself from the risks of vaping is to avoid all vaping products. However, if you do intend to keep using e-cigarettes or other vaping products, ensure you are getting them from a reputable source. Do not buy them from informal sources (e.g. off the street) and refrain from modifying the contents.

QuitNow’s Quit Coaches can help you make a plan to quit or reduce vaping use, via phone or live chat 24/7.