Teen Nicotine, Tobacco & Vaping Use
Smoking, Vaping, or Chewing – What Do They Have in Common?
Nicotine is the chemical found in tobacco products that is responsible for addiction. When tobacco products are used, nicotine is quickly absorbed into the body and goes directly to the brain. Nicotine activates areas of the brain that make in individual feel happy and satisfied, making the substance highly addictive and dangerous – especially to a teen’s developing brain.
Nicotine Addiction in Teens
Nicotine addiction may look different from person to person. Even if only used occasionally, an individual can become addicted and struggle to quit because nicotine changes the way the brain works. Many teens underestimate how easy it is to become addicted to nicotine. Teens are the most at risk for nicotine addiction because their brains are still developing. The younger a person is when they start using tobacco, the more likely they are to become addicted.
You may think that you can use tobacco without becoming addicted. But the truth is, most teens who use tobacco will get hooked. Three out of four teens who smoke cigarettes in high school will still be smoking as adults.
(smokefree.gov)
Signs of Nicotine Addiction
- Cravings or intense feelings to use tobacco products
- Going out of the way to get tobacco
- Continuing to use tobacco because stopping is challenging
- Continuing to use tobacco despite health problems, like difficulty breathing
- Giving up social activities because you can’t use tobacco in those situations
- Feeling anxious or irritable if you want to use tobacco but can’t
- You have to use tobacco within minutes of waking up
When an individual is addicted to nicotine, they may experience symptoms of nicotine withdrawal when they stop using tobacco, such as intense cravings, feeling down or irritable, or having trouble sleeping. These symptoms tend to be the strongest within the first week after quitting, but they are only temporary and lessen with time.
The Dangers of Nicotine in Teenagers
Nicotine addiction is dangerous because it increases the risk that a person can be a lifelong tobacco user. Long-term exposure to the harmful chemicals in tobacco products leads to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, lung disease, and numerous cancers.
Teens are more vulnerable to nicotine’s addictive effects because their brains continue to develop until the age of 25. Nicotine changes their brain in the parts responsible for attention, learning, and memory, worsening concentration, learning and impulse control. Nicotine-induced changes to the brain while it is still developing can not only lead to permanent effects on one’s ability to make decisions, but also increase one’s risk of becoming addicted to other substances.
Tobacco
Tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves, which are dried and used to create tobacco products. While nicotine is what addicts people to using tobacco products, it is not what makes tobacco use so harmful. Tobacco and tobacco smoke contain thousands of chemicals- including tar, carbon monoxide, lead, and arsenic- that cause serious harm to the body. Tobacco smoke also harms non-smokers as they are exposed to smoke in public and social settings. Secondhand exposure to tobacco smoke carries all the same risks as firsthand smoke. Anytime you can smell tobacco smoke you are being exposed to all the same chemicals as the smoker.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States.
Cigarettes cause more than 480,000 premature deaths in the United States each year – from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This represents about 1,300 deaths every day. In addition, for every one person who dies from smoking, 30 more suffer from at least one serious tobacco-related illness.
Smoked Tobacco
Cigarettes
These are labeled as regular, light, or menthol, but no evidence exists that light or menthol cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes.
Cigars
Cigars are often much larger than cigarettes, containing anywhere from 3 to 14 times the amount of tobacco. Also, cigars are wrapped in a tobacco leaf (whereas cigarettes are wrapped in a non-tobacco paper) which adds to the amount of tobacco being consumed.
Hookahs or water pipes
Hookah tobacco comes in many flavors, and the pipe is typically passed around in groups. A typical hookah session delivers approximately 125 times the smoke, 25 times the tar, 2.5 times the nicotine, and 10 times the carbon monoxide as smoking a cigarette.
Smokeless Tobacco
Chewing Tobacco
It is typically placed between the cheek and gums.
Snuff
Ground tobacco that can be sniffed if dried or placed between the cheek and gums.
Dip
Moist snuff that is used like chewing tobacco.
Snus
A small pouch of moist snuff.
Dissolvable products: These include lozenges, orbs, sticks, and strips.
Vaping/E-Cigarettes
Also called e-cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems, vaping devices, e-cigs, or JUULing
Vaping products are battery-operated devices that deliver nicotine and flavorings without burning tobacco.
In most products, puffing activates the battery-powered heating device, which vaporizes the liquid in the cartridge. The resulting vapor is then inhaled (called “vaping”).
Talking to Your Kids
Parents face a tough dilemma about substance use: we may want our children to abstain from alcohol and drug use but what do we do if they are not? Besides the effects of substance use on the developing brain, teens using substances may face very serious consequences.
Signs of Teen Drug or Alcohol Use
Figuring out if your child is using drugs or alcohol may pose a challenge. Many of the very early signs and symptoms could just be typical teen or young adult behavior. Many may also be signs of mental health issues, including depression or anxiety.
Smoking and Vaping FAQs
Answers to common questions about cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaping devices, nicotine, and their short- and long-term health risks.
How does smoking affect my lungs and heart?
- Smoking causes lung disease like COPD. cdc.gov+2Johns Hopkins Medicine+2
- It damages blood vessels, raises risk of plaque buildup (atherosclerosis), and increases risk of heart attack or stroke. cdc.gov
- The toxic chemicals in smoke interfere with oxygen delivery, strain the heart and blood vessels. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1
Why do some people get addicted to cigarettes?
- Nicotine is the primary addictive chemical in tobacco. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- In adolescents, nicotine can disrupt brain development, making addiction more likely. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- The younger someone starts, the more likely they’ll develop dependence. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Are there any “safe” cigarettes or tobacco products?
- No tobacco product is safe — even non-combusted ones (like vapes) carry risk. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- All tobacco products contain nicotine and harmful chemicals. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1
- The American Cancer Society likewise states there is no safe form of tobacco. cancer.org
Can smoking cause other health problems besides lung cancer?
- Smoking causes cardiovascular disease: heart disease, stroke. cdc.gov
- It also causes chronic lung diseases like COPD. cdc.gov
- There are many other impacts: cancer in other organs, gum disease, etc. CDC Stacks+1
Can you get addicted to vaping?
Why do some people say vaping is just as bad as smoking?
- E-cigarette aerosol contains harmful and potentially harmful substances (cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals, ultrafine particles). cdc.gov
- Nicotine delivered by vapes still impacts the heart, lungs, and brain. American Lung Association
- Long-term effects are still being studied, and scientists are concerned about serious lung injury. cdc.gov
Are vapes actually safer than cigarettes?
- According to the FDA: while e-cigarettes may have lower risk compared to traditional cigarettes, they are not risk-free. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- E-cigarettes still contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals. cdc.gov
- Because no tobacco product is safe, non-users (especially youth) shouldn’t start vaping. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Can you get addicted to nicotine from just one vape?
- The FDA explains that nicotine can be highly addictive, especially in young people whose brains are still developing. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- The adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable; nicotine can “prime” it for addiction to other substances. cdc.gov
How addictive are vapes?
- Very addictive: they deliver nicotine, and many are engineered for efficient nicotine delivery. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1
- Because many vapes use nicotine salts (which can provide high doses), addiction risk is high. (Note: FDA’s proposed rule to lower nicotine in cigarettes underscores how nicotine drives addiction.) U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Can vaping mess up your lungs permanently?
- Vaping can deliver toxic chemicals deep into the lungs. cdc.gov
- Some of those chemicals (or their byproducts) are known to irritate or damage lung tissue. American Lung Association
- We don’t yet fully know all the long-term risks, but evidence of lung injury is real. cdc.gov
What does long-term use of nicotine do to your body?
- Long-term nicotine use increases risk of cardiovascular problems (it affects blood vessels, rate of atherosclerosis). www.heart.org
- In youth, nicotine exposure disrupts brain circuits related to attention, learning, and impulse control. MN Dept. of Health
- It can also worsen mood regulation and prime a person for dependence or relapse. www.heart.org
How does vaping compare to smoking?
- Both are harmful. Smoking involves combustion, producing thousands of toxic chemicals (incl. ~70 known carcinogens). U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1
- Vapes may have fewer of the classic smoke toxins, but still deliver nicotine + toxic chemicals. cdc.gov
- Neither is “safe,” and the long-term harm of vaping is still under active study. cdc.gov
Legal Tobacco Products FAQs
Questions about cigars, smokeless tobacco, nicotine pouches, and other legal tobacco products, including health risks and age restrictions.
Should you be able to buy vapes at 18?
Under U.S. federal law, the minimum age to purchase tobacco products (including e-cigarettes/vapes) is 21. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+2U.S. Food and Drug Administration+2
The FDA’s “Tobacco 21” rule, enacted in December 2019, made it illegal for any retailer to sell tobacco products to anyone under 21. Tobacco 21
How old do you have to be to purchase tobacco?
As of the “Tobacco 21” law, 21 years old is the federal minimum age to buy any tobacco product. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+2Tobacco 21+2
The law applies to all retail establishments, with no exemptions. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Do you need an ID to purchase tobacco/alcohol?
Tobacco: Yes — as of a final FDA rule (effective Sept. 30, 2024), retailers must check photo ID for anyone under age 30 who is trying to buy tobacco products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Alcohol: While not one universal law requires ID up to a specific age, underage purchase laws and zero-tolerance laws generally depend on verifying age; many retailers check ID to avoid selling to minors, and many legal frameworks require verifying age for under-21 sales. (For example, underage drinking/purchase is often a misdemeanor, and proof of age is part of enforcement. )
Find Help
Find Additional Resources for Crisis Help, Support Groups and Substance Abuse Treatement.
