Vaping Education Video for High School Students

• Transcript

  Last Updated: November 15, 2025

  Hey, guys. SUPE here. Today, we’re going to talk about vaping, a topic that has gained significant attention in recent years. Whether you’re a curious teen, a concerned parent, or an adult looking for facts, I’ll provide you with essential information about vaping. Let’s dive in and separate fact from fiction.

  First off, what is vaping? Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling aerosol, often referred to as vapor, produced by an e-cigarette or similar device. These devices, also known as e-cigarettes, vape pens, or Mods, work by heating a liquid called e-juice or vape juice to create an aerosol that the user inhales. And although it’s called vapor, that name can be a bit misleading. What’s actually produced is an aerosol. In physics, a vapor is a substance in the gas phase, whereas an aerosol is a suspension of tiny particles of liquid, solid, or both within a gas. These tiny particles include nicotine, flavoring, and other substances that can be harmful when inhaled.

  Vaping devices come in various shapes and sizes. Some look like traditional cigarettes, while others resemble USB drives, pens, or everyday objects to make them less conspicuous. The discrete nature of these devices has contributed to their popularity, especially among young people. One of the reasons vaping became popular is because people believe it’s a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. And while there might be some truth to that for people who are already smokers, if you’ve never smoked, vaping isn’t safer than just continuing to not smoke.

  While both cigarettes and e-cigarettes look similar, there are several key differences. Traditional cigarettes burn tobacco, producing smoke that contains over 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic. E-cigarettes, on the other hand, heat a liquid to produce an aerosol. While this aerosol contains fewer harmful chemicals, it’s not harmless. Cigarettes deliver nicotine through combustion, while E-cigarettes vaporize a nicotine-containing liquid. As a comparative, one 5% strength Jule pod is equivalent to smoking 13 to 30 cigarettes in terms of nicotine content. Some e-cigarettes can deliver even higher doses of nicotine. Traditional cigarettes are heavily regulated in most countries. Regulations on e-cigarettes vary widely and are still evolving in many places. For example, a North Dakota State University study found that 51% of labels on e-cigarette liquid nicotine containers don’t accurately reflect the levels of nicotine found in the e-liquid. The actual nicotine content ranged from 66% less to 172% more than the labeled concentrations. Because vaping is a relatively new practice, there are still many unknowns. But just because it hasn’t been around for long, doesn’t mean it’s safe. In fact, there are well-documented dangers associated with vaping. Most E-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance.

  Here are some signs you might be addicted to nicotine.

  • You’re trying to or thinking about quitting vaping, but you’re unable to do so.
  • You feel the need to vape or think about it a lot when you’re not vaping.
  • It’s hard to keep from vaping in places you’re not supposed to.

  Another sign of addiction is having nicotine withdrawal symptoms when you stop vaping for a certain amount of time. Those symptoms include:

  • feeling irritable or restless
  • having headaches
  • feeling anxious or depressed
  • difficulty concentrating
  • having trouble sleeping
  • having intense cravings for e-cigarettes

  For adolescents and young adults, nicotine exposure can harm brain development, affecting parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Nicotine can increase heart rate and blood pressure, potentially increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Excessive exposure to nicotine through vaping can lead to nicotine poisoning, causing nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, seizures. Poisoning can also occur if the E-liquid is swallowed or absorbed through the skin. There have been instances of E-cigarette batteries exploding, causing serious injuries. In recent years, there have reports of severe lung injuries, known as EVALI, E-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury, which is a severe inflammatory lung condition that often requires hospitalization. In a report by the CDC, as of February 2020, there had been over 2, 800 hospitalized cases for EVALI in the US, with 68 confirmed deaths. The symptoms observed included cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, headache, and dizziness. Along with these risks, some reports are starting to come out about the potential short-term and long-term risks associated with vaping, which will require further research to confirm. Here’s an overview.

  • Vaping can lead to dry mouth, gum inflammation, and potentially increase the risk of tooth decay.
  • While the long-term cancer risk of vaping is not yet known, some of the chemicals found in e-cigarette aerosol have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
  • There’s a potential, especially for teens, that people who start vaping could be more likely to begin smoking cigarettes. According to a study done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 30% of teens who started using e-cigarettes began smoking traditional tobacco products within six months, as compared to 9% for teens who never vaped.
  • Although many young people will start vaping as a way to alleviate stress and anxiety, there’s growing evidence linking vaping to increased risk of depression and anxiety, especially among young users.

  Now, let’s look at some of the myths regarding vaping.

  Flavored vapes are just harmless water vapor. The only toxic chemical is nicotine. It’s more than just water. Apart from nicotine, the chemicals used to create vape flavorings can damage the lungs, heart, and immune systems. Among the most toxic are the chemicals used to create some chocolate and banana flavors.

  Vaping isn’t addictive, especially those that are nicotine-free. 99% of vape products sold in US convenience stores contain nicotine. It’s even been found that many of the e-liquids that claim to be nicotine-free contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive.

  Vaping can help me quit smoking cigarettes. Although vaping has been marketed as a tool to stop smoking, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any e-cigarette or vaping product to help quit tobacco products.

  As we’ve explored in this video, vaping is a complex issue where many things are not yet known. Because of what we know and what we don’t know, the safest choice is and always will be to avoid vaping or using any nicotine products. But at the end of the day, no matter what anyone says, including me, it’s your decision whether or not you vape, and you might make that decision today or in the future.

  So my advice is this, whether you’re currently vaping or considering it, stay informed. This video gave a lot of information, but as more research is done, more complete and conclusive data will become available. Find out for yourself and weigh that information when making your decision to continue or start vaping.

  And if you’re struggling with quitting, don’t hesitate to reach out to professionals to get tools to help you.

  Thank you for watching, and live a drug-free life.

  Sources:

  https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/10/07/vaping-unknown-chemicals/

  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24948-evali#:~:text=EVALI%20is%20a%20serious%20inflammatory,abdominal%20issues%2C%20fever%20and%20chills

  https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/results-annual-national-youth-tobacco-survey

  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7023954

  https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/health-effects.html

  https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/youth.html
  https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/nicotine-and-young-brain

  https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/how-much-nicotine-juul

  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4469966/

  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160722212549.htm

  https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/teens-using-e-cigarettes-may-be-more-likely-start-smoking-tobacco#:~:text=During%20the%20first%20six%20months,had%20never%20used%20e%2Dcigarettes.

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