Would you recognize an e-cigarette if you saw one? Not all e-cigarettes look alike, and vaping is easy to hide.
Why is vaping easy for teens to hide?
Electronic nicotine devices can look like a pen, a computer memory stick or flash drive, a car key fob, or even an asthma inhaler. Instead of inhaling tobacco smoke from a cigarette, e-cigarette users inhale vapor from liquid "e-juice" that has been heated with a battery-powered coil. This is called vaping. The juice is flavored and usually contains nicotine and other chemicals.
E-cigarettes are unhealthy and addictive.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating an outbreak of severe lung disease related to vaping that has caused severe illness and death in many US states. The American Academy of Pediatrics joins the CDC to remind parents that e-cigarette use is never safe for youth, young adults, or pregnant and/or breastfeeding women.
Talk with your pediatrician
If you have questions about vaping, talk with your pediatrician. Your regional Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) have staff who can also talk with parents about concerns over environmental toxins.
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