It looks like your language preference is English, switch to GB website?
Update your location to view content relevant to your location.

Why and what are teens vaping?

There are many reasons teens vape including ease of access, curiosity, pushing against boundaries, peer pressure and also stress.

vape flavours

What’s stopping you?

Not sure if you’re ready to stop smoking? Worried about finding it difficult?

Start the quiz
Share this article

Reasons why teenagers are vaping

Just like with traditional cigarettes, some people start vaping due to peer pressure and the desire to fit in with others it is curiosity.

Teenagers frequently say they first tried an e-cigarette because someone offered them one and they tried it due to a mixture of wanting to appear mature or “grown-up” and not wanting to seem uptight.

In surveys, US adolescents say it is because of the flavours, of which there are now an estimated 16,000 available and the widespread advertising has made them curious about the products and so want to try them.

Why and what are teens vaping? play_circle_outline

Watch the video version of this article or scroll down to read the full article.

In the UK, the main reason stated was “to give it a try” (65%) presumably due to the widespread marketing and because they saw a friend or a family member vaping and thought, “There has to be something good about this, or why would they do it?”. The next highest response “other people use them and I join in” (11%) and “I like the flavours” (10%).

The most common reasons that teen start vaping are:

  1. Peer pressure and social influence

Teens often feel pressured to fit in with their peers. If their friends or social groups are vaping, they might start as well in order to be accepted or appear cool.

  1. Curiosity and experimentation

Adolescence is a time when many experiment with different behaviours, including the use of e-cigarettes.

The novelty of vaping devices, the colours and the variety of flavours can be particularly appealing to young people which is why Big nicotine has spent billions marketing vapes in this way to appear cool, sexy and modern.

  1. Marketing and perceptions

Vaping is heavily marketed, sometimes directly or indirectly targeting younger audiences through social media and appealing flavours.

These marketing strategies can create the perception that vaping is less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes and even that they are harmless!

  1. Misinformation about safety

Many teens believe that vaping is a safer alternative to smoking.

Although e-cigarettes generally contain fewer toxic substances than traditional cigarettes, they are not safe, have long term health risks and can contain high levels of nicotine, which is addictive.

  1. Stress and mental health

Some teens may use vaping as a way to cope with stress, anxiety, or depression.

  1. Accessibility and legality

In some places, it’s easier for teens to buy vapes than cigarettes due to regulatory gaps or enforcement issues, making vaping more accessible.

Most e-cigarette liquid contains nicotine which is highly addictive.
In fact, vaping is now more popular than traditional cigarettes with 2.1 million middle and high school students in the US using the product in 2017. In the UK the number of students smoking is 300,000 and vaping is 300,000.

What are teens vaping?

Part of the reason for the growth in teen vaping is that vaping liquid, known as vaping juice, comes in many flavours.

  • UK – fruit (60%), chocolate/desserts/sweet (17%), Energy drink or soft drink (5%), menthol (3%)10 .
  • US – fruit (58%), menthol (54%), candy/dessert/other sweets (30%), mint (28%)27

In 2023, the disposable vape was the preferred product in UK at 69% of all teen vapes (in 2021 it was 8%)

In US is is Puff Bar 15%, Vuse 13%, Hyde 6% and SMOK 4%. More than half like the UK used disposable e-cigarettes

% of US students who said they vaped during the last 30 days, 2018


Source: University of Michigan Monitoring the Future survey

The vaping devices are electronic products that heat a liquid to produce a vapour/smoke. They come in many shapes and sizes from looking like cigarettes, to USB flash drives (JUUL), to large tank system devices.

In the past year there has been significant growth in disposable vapes or elf bars and it is these that are now most popular among children per Dr Mike McKean. This has led the UK Government debate whether to ban highly flavoured vapes and elf bars due to the concerns of creating addiction in young people.

What’s holding you back?

Not sure if you really want to quit vaping?

Want to stop, but concerned that you’ll find it tough?

Worried that you’ll be deprived for the rest of your life without vapes?

We know that taking the first step can be difficult, but we’re here to answer your questions in complete confidence – with no pressure and no judgement.

Start the free quiz

What is in vaping juice / liquid?

The first thing to say is that the liquid is far from being a healthy juice! The word juice is a term used by “Big Vape” to encourage the illusion that vaping is healthy and safe.

Vapes lost mary

Vaping liquid / juice contains around 80 different chemicals.

Not one of the four main ingredients in vapes (propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine and any number of different flavourings) are designed to be breathed into your lungs.

  1. Flavourings

There’s thousands of flavours out there, but some of them have sketchy additives.

There’s one called diacetyl that makes stuff taste buttery, like in popcorn or desserts. It’s not designed to be inhaled into your lungs and it can wreck them.

They even call it “popcorn lung” because it’s so nasty.

It’s banned in some countries including UK, US & EU, but is still found in illegal vapes and legally in many countries.

  1. Propylene Glycol (PG)

They use this stuff to make fake smoke for movies, but it’s also in antifreeze, not something you want to be breathing in! It’s not designed to be inhaled into your lungs and causes tremendous damage.

It can mess up your lungs and eyes.

  1. Glycerin

It is used to add sweetness and although it is used in junk foods, soaps, medicines, and skin products – you’ve guessed it – it isn’t designed to be inhaled into your lungs and causes tremendous damage.

Not only that… Alarming findings from English schools where 1 in 6 vapes were found spiked with a dangerous synthetic drug “Spice”.

What is in vaping juice / liquid when it is heated?

two teenagers vaping
When you heat up that juice, you get even more harmful elements:

  1. Ultrafine particles

These tiny bits can get deep into your lungs and mess things up – even more so if you already have asthma or lung problems.

They might even trigger a heart attack, which is scary.

  1. Volatile organic compounds

They can make your eyes, nose, and throat all irritated, give you headaches and nausea, and mess with your liver, kidneys, and nervous system. No thank you!.

  1. Cancer causing toxins

Yup, you read that right. Some of the stuff in there can actually give you cancer. Like formaldehyde and benzene. Not cool.

  1. Propylene Glycol (PG)

Research has shown that heating propylene glycol changes its chemical composition, producing small amounts of propylene oxide, a known cancerous toxin.

  1. Heavy metals

Like nickel and lead. Breathing that in can mess up your breathing and give you diseases. Not worth it.

So basically, vaping might seem like a harmless thing to do, but it’s something that will cause you life long harm.

Why wait to quit vaping?

Our online video programme is tailored for teens, offering a powerful and supportive way to stop for good.

Buy now for just US$10

Free Online Quiz

Not sure if you really want to quit vaping?

Need help to stop vaping?

Want to stop, but concerned that you’ll find it tough?

Worried that you’ll be deprived for the rest of your life without vapes?

We can help you to understand and remove those fears and in so doing, make it quitting easy.

Person booking a stop smoking, stop drinking, stop vaping or lose weight consultation on a phone

References:

  1. Wang TW, Neff LJ, Park-Lee E, et al. E-cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2020;69.
  2. Samir S. Soneji, Kristin E. Knutzen, Andrea C. Villanti. Use of Flavored E-Cigarettes Among Adolescents, Young Adults, and Older Adults: Findings From the Population Assessment for Tobacco and Health Study. Public Health Reports, 2019; 003335491983096 DOI: 1177/0033354919830967
  3. Goniewicz ML, Gupta R, Lee YH, et al. Nicotine levels in electronic cigarette refill solutions: a comparative analysis of products from the United States, Korea, and Poland. Int J Drug Policy. 2015;26(6):583–588.
  4. The New England Journal of Medicine : Trends in Adolescent Vaping, 2017–2019 October 10, 2019 N Engl J Med 2019; 381:1490-1491 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc1910739 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1910739  and University of Michigan Monitoring the Future vaping survey 2021 Richard Miech; Adam Leventhal; Lloyd Johnston Pediatrics October 2020, JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175(2):185-190; DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.56672022 update
  5. Centres for Disease control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html
  6. Willett JG, Bennett M, Hair EC, et al Recognition, use and perceptions of JUUL among youth and young adults. Tobacco Control Published Online First: 18 April 2018. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054273
  7. US Department of Health and Human Services. E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon Generalpdf icon[PDF – 8.47MB]. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2016. Accessed July 27, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/e-cigarettes/pdfs/2016_sgr_entire_report_508.pdf and US Department of Health and Human Services. E-cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students 2020pdf icon[PDF – 8.47MB]. US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2020. Weekly / September 18, 2020 / 69(37);1310–1312. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6937e1.htm?s_cid=mm6937e1_w
  8. July 2018 Gallup poll https://news.gallup.com/poll/237818/young-people-adopt-vaping-smoking-rate-plummets.aspx
  9. Parental Awareness of Youth Tobacco Use and the Role of Household Tobacco Rules in Use Prevention Tsu-Shuan Wu and Benjamin W. Chaffee Pediatrics October 2020, e20194034; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-4034 https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2020/10/01/peds.2019-4034
  10. ASH Use of e-cigarettes among young people in Great Britain ASH-Factsheet-Youth-E-cigarette-Use-2019 , YouthEcig2020 , , Use-of-e-cigarettes-among-young-people-in-Great-Britain-2021Use-of-e-cigarettes-among-young-people-in-Great-Britain-2022https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Use-of-vapes-among-young-people-GB-2023-v2.pdf
  11. National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes Report – https://www.nap.edu/resource/24952/012318ecigaretteConclusionsbyEvidence.pdf
  12. World Health Organisation Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2021
  13. Raymond BH, Collette-Merrill K, Harrison RG, Jarvis S, Rasmussen RJ. The nicotine content of a sample of E-cigarette liquid manufactured in the United States. Journal of Addiction Medicine. 2018;12(2):127–131.
  14. NHS: Flavouring found in e-cigarettes linked to ‘popcorn lung’ https://www.nhs.uk/news/heart-and-lungs/flavouring-found-in-e-cigarettes-linked-to-popcorn-lung/
  15. A review of the comparative mammalian toxicity of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol J S LaKind 1, E A McKenna, R P Hubner, R G Tardiff Crit Rev Toxicol. 1999 Jul;29(4):331-65. doi: 10.1080/10408449991349230 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10451263/
  16. A toxicological review of the propylene glycols J Fowles, M Banton, L Pottenger Crit Rev Toxicol 2013 Apr;43(4):363-90. doi: 10.3109/10408444.2013.792328 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23656560/
  17. Propylene Glycol Toxicity in Children T. Lim, R. Poole, and N. Pageler, J Pediatr Pharmacol Therv.19(4); Oct-Dec 2014PMC4341412 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4341412/
  18.  Fuoco, F.C.; Buonanno, G.; Stabile, L.; Vigo, P., “Influential parameters on particle concentration and size distribution in the mainstream of e-cigarettes,” Environmental Pollution 184: 523-529, January 2014.
  19. Grana, R; Benowitz, N; Glantz, S. “Background Paper on E-cigarettes,” Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco and WHO Collaborating Center on Tobacco Control. December 2013.
  20. Goniewicz, M.L.; Knysak, J.; Gawron, M.; Kosmider, L.; Sobczak, A.; Kurek, J.; Prokopowicz, A.; Jablonska-Czapla, M.; Rosik-Dulewska, C.; Havel, C.; Jacob, P.; Benowitz, N., “Levels of selected carcinogens and toxicants in vapour from electronic cigarettes,” Tobacco Control [Epub ahead of print], March 6, 2013.
  21. Williams, M.; Villarreal, A.; Bozhilov, K.; Lin, S.; Talbot, P., “Metal and silicate particles including nanoparticles are present in electronic cigarette cartomizer fluid and aerosol,” PLoS ONE 8(3): e57987, March 20, 2013.
  22. Henderson, TR; Clark, CR; Marshall, TC; Hanson, RL; & Hobbs, CH. “Heat degradation studies of solar heat transfer fluids,” Solar Energy, 27, 121-128. 1981.
  23. Williams, M.; Villarreal, A.; Bozhilov, K.; Lin, S.; Talbot, P., “Metal and silicate particles including nanoparticles are present in electronic cigarette cartomizer fluid and aerosol,” PLoS ONE 8(3): e57987, March 20, 2013.
  24. Lerner, C.A.; Rutagarama, P.; Ahmad, T.; Sundar, I.K.; Elder, A.; Rahman, I., “Electronic cigarette aerosols and copper nanoparticles induce mitochondrial stress and promote DNA fragmentation in lung fibroblasts,” Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 477(4): 620-625, September 2, 2016.
  25. Guardian Newspaper https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/18/uk-health-expert-raises-alarm-at-epidemic-of-vaping-among-teenagers
  26. Elf bar nicotine levels Dr. Onkar Mudhar https://vaping360.com/learn/how-much-nicotine-is-in-a-elf-bar/#:~:text=Nicotine%20in%20a%20cigarette%20compared%20to%20Elf%20Bars,-A%20recent%20Tiktok&text=Dr.,equivalent%2020%20milligrams%20of%20nicotine.%E2%80%9D
  27. United states most popular vape flavor teenagers – Statista 2022
  28. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. National Youth Tobacco Survey 2022