Health harms of vaping

Some people think that vaping is less harmful than smoking. While we need more time to understand the long-term health effects of vaping, we are already seeing harms from vaping right now.

The best thing you can do for your health is to be vape-free and smoke-free.

A review of international evidence found these health harms associated with vaping:

Nicotine addiction and dependence

Nicotine is highly addictive. Every time you vape, nicotine reaches your brain within seconds. Nicotine causes your brain to release high levels of dopamine – a ‘feel-good’ chemical. Once the nicotine levels drop, your body craves the good feeling, so you crave more nicotine.

Addiction is a serious health problem. People who are addicted to vapes can go through cycles of withdrawal and cravings, until they vape again.

Exposure to nicotine during adolescence and young adulthood can change the structure and function of the brain.

There is a concern that people who vape will go on to smoke. Non-smokers who vape are three times as likely to start smoking tobacco compared to people who don’t vape.

Nicotine poisoning

Nicotine is highly toxic and classified as a poison. Most vapes contain high levels of nicotine. Symptoms of nicotine poisoning include nausea, headaches, dizziness, coughing, diarrhoea, increased heart rate and vomiting.

Young children can die or be seriously poisoned from just small amounts of nicotine , so it’s very important to keep vapes, e-liquids and other products out of reach of young children.

If you’re concerned someone has nicotine poisoning:

• Call the NSW Poisons Information Line 13 11 26.
• Call 000 for an ambulance if they have stopped breathing or collapsed

Lung damage and breathlessness

When you vape, you inhale tiny particles (particulate matter) and chemicals into your lungs, where they can settle in your airways. These particles and chemicals can cause inflammation, scarring and DNA damage.

Burns and injuries

There are many reports of vapes exploding. When a vape explodes in your hand, mouth or pocket, you can have severe burns, often to the face, hands, thighs, chest and genitals.

Don’t ever try to modify or re-use disposable vapes. Tampering with batteries can cause explosions. Always charge, store and use batteries as directed in the manufacturers instructions.

Long-term health issues that aren’t fully known yet

Vapes have toxic chemicals that are known to cause cancer (such as formaldehyde, arsenic, acrolein) and other health issues:

• Chlorine causes lung damage
• Benzene damages DNA
• Mercury damages fertility
• Arsenic causes damage to internal organs.

The long-term effects of inhaling these chemicals are being monitored, but can’t be fully understood for years.

Health effects for young people

Most vapes contain nicotine, even if nicotine isn’t listed in the ingredients.

Along with these harms of vaping, young people can experience additional harms from nicotine exposure.

The human brain continues developing until around the age of 25. Each time a new memory is made or a new skill is learned, stronger connections (synapses) are built between brain cells. Young people’s brains build synapses faster than adult brains.

Nicotine changes the way synapses are formed. Vaping nicotine can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control. Nicotine exposure can also increase the risk of future addiction to other drugs.