Key Points

• Vaping may seem less harmful than smoking and is easier to conceal because it produces less noticeable odor. That can make it easier to use frequently and take in more nicotine.
• Many people who vape have never smoked. Vaping can introduce nicotine to people who might otherwise avoid cigarettes.
• Nicotine and other rewarding chemicals can encourage dependence and addiction.
• Young people may be especially vulnerable because their brains—particularly the areas involved in complex decision-making—are still developing. Nicotine dependence may affect brain chemistry over time.
• The speaker’s view: Vaping should be used, if at all, as a tool to help people quit cigarettes—not as an introduction to nicotine.