Deep breath. You’re in a judgement-free space. Find facts about vaping and the support you need to quit.

What’s the harm?

Almost all e-cigs contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can actually harm your brain. It’s so addictive that it can distract you from the important things, like achieving your goals and personal growth. See: Think E-Cigs Can’t Harm Teens’ Health?

And once you start vaping, stopping isn’t easy. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include irritability, restlessness, anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, problems concentrating and…craving more nicotine! That’s how they get you. See: Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis

Some people turn to vaping to ease their stress or anxiety, but being caught up in this cycle of addiction can actually create more stress in their lives.

A look inside
the vape

Nicotine Click to expand

A highly addictive substance that harms adolescent brain development. See: Think E-Cigs Can’t Harm Teens’ Health?

Ultra-Fine Particles Click to expand

Inhaled deep into the lungs and pose more serious health risks than fine particles. See: Nicotine and ultrafine particles: Reasons to worry about e-cig-induced heart attacks

VOCs Click to expand

Volatile organic compounds, which can cause breathing difficulties, nausea, nervous system damage and cancer. See: Comparison of Systemic Exposure to Toxic and/or Carcinogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) during Vaping, Smoking, and Abstention

Heavy Metals Click to expand

Metals like nickel, tin and lead that can damage functioning of lungs, brain, liver, kidneys and other organs. See: E-cigarettes expose users to toxic metals such as arsenic, lead

Big tobacco’s
big target

Advertisement for Alt vapes. First advertisement for Blu vapes. Second advertisement for Blu vapes. Candy King flavored vape juices, designed to look like kids’ candies. Three celebrities using vapes. Advertisement for Elfbar vapes. Juice Box flavored vape juice, designed to look like an apple juice box for kids. Advertisement for Juul vapes.

The Tobacco Industry has been targeting young people for decades. They’ve tried everything: using celebrities in their advertising, offering products in flavors that appeal to youth, and selling products in stores near schools and parks. See: 8 of the Top Strategies Big Tobacco Used to Target Kids with E-Cigarettes

Flavored commercial tobacco products are especially suspect. More than 80% of youth who ever tried commercial tobacco say they started with a flavored product. According to the FDA, nearly all youth who started using e-cigs did so with a flavored product. This is by design. See: Flavored Commercial Tobacco Products

I don’t want to see my friends get addicted this young and potentially have other addictions down the road.

MN Youth
Council Member

Vaping and the
Environment

E-cigs aren’t just bad for your physical and mental health—they hurt the planet, too. The environmental toll of these products is vast and far reaching. Throughout their lifecycle, tobacco products contribute to:

deforestation

greenhouse
gas emissions

litter

single-use
plastic waste

electronic
waste

The Cost
of Vaping

Vaping doesn’t just cost you your health—it costs money. Around $1,500 a year, in fact. See: How Much Does Vaping Cost Individuals and Employers? If you had that on hand today, what would you put it towards?

Imagine

$1,500

in extra cash

Start a band. Hobby upgrade. Shoes on shoes on shoes. The latest tech. 6,250 packs of ramen. Summer music fest tickets. Root for the home team. 300 iced coffees. A step toward future goals.

Take Action

Talk to your friends

and share resources to help

Get involved

in the Youth Advisory Council

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Get Help to Quit Vaping, Smoking, or Chewing

My Life, My Quit is a program to help Minnesota teens ages 13–17 quit commercial tobacco and nicotine, including vaping. The program is free and confidential.

You can text a quit coach, engage in coaching calls and online chat, and get other helpful stuff

Text “Start my quit” to 36072

Visit My Life, My Quit

Go to the Hey Norm website