Risks of Vaping: What Vapers Need to Be Thinking About
Almost everything adults choose to do comes with trade-offs, and vaping is no exception. The more you understand the risks, the better the decisions you can make about your own habits and gear.
This guide covers the risks worth thinking about, from nicotine to batteries, and the everyday choices that are in your hands. It’s general information, not medical advice, so bring any health questions to your doctor.
Short version: Nicotine is addictive, the vapor contains more than water, and long-term research on vaping is still coming in. Overheated coils, damaged batteries and products from unknown sources are risks you can do something about.
Nicotine and dependence
Most vape juice contains nicotine, and nicotine is addictive. It’s also a stimulant that raises your heart rate and blood pressure. Higher strengths and nicotine salts deliver more of it, so it’s easy to end up using more than you meant to.
Too much nicotine can leave you dizzy, nauseous or jittery. If that happens, lower your strength or slow down. Our guide to nicotine strength can help you find the right level.
Liquid nicotine is also poisonous if swallowed and can be absorbed through the skin, which makes it especially dangerous for children and pets. Keep bottles capped and stored out of reach. If you’re pregnant or planning to be, talk to your doctor about nicotine.
What’s in the vapor
The cloud from an e-cigarette is an aerosol, not plain water. According to the CDC, it can contain ultrafine particles, flavoring chemicals, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead. What ends up in each puff depends on the device, the settings and the liquid.
The main ingredients, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), are widely used in foods and cosmetics, and many flavorings are food ingredients too. Most of the research behind those uses is about eating them or putting them on skin, not heating and inhaling them, and that gap is part of why scientists keep studying vaping. Some flavor chemicals have raised specific concerns. Our vaper’s blacklist covers diacetyl and similar butter-flavor compounds.
What about food coloring?
Some e-liquids are tinted to look more appealing. Coloring adds nothing to the flavor, and there’s little research on what happens when it’s heated and inhaled. Since it’s purely cosmetic, there’s no reason to seek it out.
Keep in mind that plenty of e-liquids darken naturally as they age, because nicotine and some flavorings change color over time. That’s different from added dye. Our guide to how long vape juice lasts explains what a color change means.
Heat, power and coils
High-powered devices and rebuildable dripping atomizers (RDAs) made big clouds and bold flavor popular. They also raise the stakes on heat. When a coil runs hotter than it should, or the wick runs dry, the liquid can break down into unwanted byproducts. You’ll usually notice this as a harsh, burnt taste.
- Stay in the range. Most coils list a recommended wattage range. Staying inside it gives you better flavor and less overheating.
- Prime new coils by letting the wick soak before your first puff.
- Replace worn coils. Fading flavor, a gunked-up coil or a burnt taste are all signs. See when to change your vape coils.
- Don’t chain-vape a dry wick. Give the wick a few seconds to re-soak between long puffs.
If you build your own coils, the wire matters too. Researchers have found metals in some e-cigarette aerosols, and the heating coil is a likely source. Use only wire sold for vaping, never hardware-store or galvanized wire, and learn the basics before you build. Our guide to sub-ohm atomizers is a good place to start.
Batteries and devices
Vape batteries are usually lithium-ion, and they pack a lot of energy into a small space. Damaged, shorted or badly charged batteries can overheat, vent or catch fire.
- Charge with the cable or charger recommended for your device, and don’t leave anything charging unattended or overnight.
- Carry spare batteries in a plastic case, never loose in a pocket with keys or coins.
- Replace batteries with torn wraps, dents or any sign of swelling.
- Keep devices out of hot cars and direct sun.
- If you use a mod with removable batteries, learn the basics in our battery guide and our post on mechanical mod battery safety.
Where you buy matters
Anyone can mix a liquid in a back room, and anyone can list a device online. Established brands and retailers can tell you who made a product and where it came from. Counterfeits and products from informal sources can’t.
That matters. In 2019, the CDC linked an outbreak of serious lung injuries, known as EVALI, mainly to THC vaping products containing vitamin E acetate, many of them from informal sources. Buy nicotine products from age-verified retailers, and don’t add anything to your e-liquid or modify a device beyond what its maker intended.
Regulation is part of the picture too. Every vaping product in the US needs FDA premarket authorization, and many products are still under review. Rules on flavors and sales vary by state and city and change often, so check the current rules where you live. For the latest public health guidance, visit cdc.gov and fda.gov.
Common questions
Does food coloring in e-liquid matter?
It adds nothing to the flavor, and little is known about inhaling it. There’s no reason to seek out colored juice.
Why does my vape sometimes taste burnt?
Usually it’s a dry wick, a worn coil or too much power. Stop, let the wick soak, check your wattage and replace the coil if the taste doesn’t go away.
How should I carry spare batteries?
In a plastic battery case, away from keys, coins and heat. Replace any battery with a torn wrap or dents.
WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. For adults 21+ only.