Electronic Cigarettes (E-cigs) and Vaping

Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigs) and other “vaping” devices (such as JUUL or Suorin) are battery-operated products designed to deliver nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. They turn chemicals, including highly addictive nicotine, into an aerosol that is inhaled by the user. Most e-cigs are manufactured to look like conventional cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some resemble everyday items such as pens and USB memory sticks, and are known as tanks, vape pens, vaporizers, and e-pipes.

CDC Health Alert on Vaping: Nationwide Illness Associated with Vaping

Vaping News Conference — Wisconsin teenager Logan Krahn discusses how he nearly died after vaping, urging youth not to vape.

Illinois and Wisconsin: Hospitalizations from Vaping “Street” Products
Marquette University: Researchers at Marquette and reporters at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel collaborated to test popular e-cig juices: Lab Tests of E-cigs Reveal Harmful Chemicals

Youth Vaping Doubles from 2017 to 2019

According to the Monitoring Our Future survey, youth vaping more than doubled at every grade level from 2017 to 2019. Read more in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Youth Vaping and Smoking

Among youth — who use e-cigarettes at higher rates than adults do — there is substantial evidence that e-cigarette use increases the risk of transitioning to smoking conventional cigarettes.
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found youth who vaped e-cigs were nearly 4 times more likely to smoke. Current use of electronic cigarettes increased among middle and high school students from 2011 to 2015. About 5 of every 100 middle school students (5.3%) reported in 2015 that they used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days—an increase from 0.6% in 2011. 16 of every 100 high school students (16.0%) reported in 2015 that they used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days—an increase from 1.5% in 2011.
In an article in the journal Pediatrics, researchers discuss carcinogens they detected in the urine of teens who vaped.

Dr. Megan Piper discusses vaping with Hannah Flood — UW-CTRI’s Dr. Megan Piper discusses vaping with NBC 15’s Hannah Flood

What is JUUL?

JUUL is a type of e-cigarette that has surged in popularity since its introduction in 2015.
It is known for its unique use of nicotine + benzoic acid + flavors that deliver a smoother experience than other vaping devices while mimicking combustible cigarettes in their delivery of nicotine.
JUUL is already the most widely purchased e-cigarette brand, representing nearly half of the market share in the last quarter of 2017.
According to the journal JAMA Pediatrics, half of Juul’s Twitter followers are under the age to legally buy nicotine products.
Kids have referred to use of the product as “juuling.”
JUUL Fact Sheet from Tobwis.org
JUUL Fact Sheet from the Office of Smoking and Health

Quitting Vaping

Call the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line at 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669).
SmokeFree.gov
An app to quit vaping
INDEPTH: An interactive program from ALA that teaches students how to be nicotine-free and avoid school punishments

Does vaping lead to quitting smoking?

According to a Cochrane review of published research, it is unclear if e-cigs are an effective way to quit smoking.
In a UW-CTRI study, vaping can reduce nicotine dependence, but it is unclear if patients would quit vaping.
Another UW-CTRI study found that participants who both smoked and vaped were more likely to quit vaping than to quit smoking.
A British study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found e-cigarettes were more effective for smoking cessation than nicotine-replacement therapy (18% quit vs. 9%), when both products were accompanied by behavioral support.
In its report, “Nicotine Without Smoke: Tobacco Harm Reduction,” the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom recommended promoting both quit-smoking medications and e-cigarettes as a way to help people avoid the harms caused by smoking combustible tobacco products. The FDA has not made such recommendations.

UW-CTRI Research on Vaping

UW-CTRI is analyzing its second study on smoking and vaping. The first UW-CTRI study on smoking and vaping found no clear evidence that vaping e-cigs reduced smoking or lowered carbon monoxide levels in participants. The second study did find that dual users of e-cigs and regular cigarettes smoked fewer cigarettes per day, but were taking in the same amount of nicotine. UW is also conducting a study on the acute and long-term effects of vaping.

How many vape? Prevalence of E-Cigarette Use

Big Business

According to the WHO 2014 E-Cigs Report, in 2014 there were 466 brands of e-cigs. In 2013, consumers spent $3 billion on e-cigs globally. Sales are forecasted to increase by a factor of 17 by 2030.¹

Regulation

On May 5, 2016, the FDA asserted authority to regulate all tobacco products, including vaping devices. On August 8, 2016, those regulations took effect. However, those regulations are still under debate and could be changed.

To view a list of vaping regulations by state, click here.

Taxes on Vaping

Wisconsin recently joined other states in taxing vaping products.

Other Fact Sheets on E-cigs

Citations

1) WHO 2014 Report on E-Cigarettes. Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Sixth session, Moscow, Russian Federation, 13–18 October 2014.

2) National Health Interview Survey, 2015 data