The Effects of Vaping on Teens

Enticing flavors, targeted marketing, and false claims of safety have combined to make vaping an unfortunately common behavior among many young people. But considerable evidence has emerged that the effects of vaping on teens can include physical health damage, psychological harm, and an increased risk of engaging in other problematic behaviors.

Time Wellness Georgia offers personalized outpatient care for teens who have been struggling with mental health conditions that were caused or worsened by vaping.

Learn more about teen mental health treatment in Atlanta or verify your insurance now.

What is Vaping?

Vaping is a general term that describes the use of various electronic devices to ingest nicotine and other dangerous substances. The devices that people use are referred to by several names, including vapes, electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and e-cigs.

Some vapes are designed to deliver THC, which is the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. But today’s post will focus on nicotine vaping.

Vapes contain rechargeable batteries that heat a liquid solution in an attached pod or cartridge. This liquid is commonly called vape juice. The heating element in vapes atomizes the liquid, which users then inhale through the device’s mouthpiece. 

In addition to nicotine, vape juice almost always also contains propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) for flavoring and to create the clouds of smoke that vapers exhale. However, this is by no means the extent of the liquid’s composition. 

The American Lung Association has identified several hazardous chemicals that are often present in vape juice, while a 2020 analysis in the journal Tobacco Control found 219 distinct additives in 100 samples.

How Many Teens Vape?

Statistics on teen vaping in the U.S. are a mixed bag of positive trends and ongoing problems.

On the good news side, after years of increases, the prevalence of vaping among teens fell during the first half of the current decade.

A November 2025 JAMA Network Open article reported that rates of teen vaping “significantly decreased” from 2020-2024: 

• The rate of past-month vaping among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders dropped from 17.8% in 2020 to 10.1% in 2024.
• Male students had a 59.3% reduction in past-month vaping, falling from 17.8% in 2020 to 8.2% in 2024.
• Female students reported a 36.2% reduction, decreasing from 17.7% to 11.3% over the same time period.

Unfortunately, millions of young people continue to expose themselves to the dangerous effects of teen vaping.

According to the 2024 edition of the National Youth Tobacco Survey:

• Electronic cigarettes were the most frequently used tobacco products among adolescents and teens in the U.S.
• 1.63 million middle and high school students vaped in 2024. This represented 5.9% of students in grades 6-12, or more than one in every 20 students.
• Teen vaping was more prevalent among high school students, with 1.21 million students (7.8% of those in grades 9-12) doing so at least once.
• 410,000 middle school students (3.5% of those in grades 6-8) reported using e-cigarettes in 2024.

What Are the Effects of Vaping on Teens?

The effects of vaping on teens can include physical, psychological, and behavioral problems. The type and severity of these effects can be influenced by several factors, including the young person’s age, how long they has been vaping, how often they do so, and if they have also been using other substances.

Physical Effects of Vaping on Teens

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the potential effects of vaping on teens include:

• Rapid onset of nicotine dependence
• Damage to areas of the brain that control attention, mood, learning, and impulse control
• Impaired brain development
• Exposure to cancer-causing chemicals 
• Ingestion of lead, nickel, and tin
• Lung damage
• Injuries due to fires or explosions of e-cigarette batteries

Mental Health Effects of Vaping on Teens

Vaping has been linked to an array of psychological and behavioral concerns among both teens and adults, though the association may be bidirectional. In other words, certain personal problems may increase the likelihood that a teen will begin to vape, while vaping may also cause or worsen these challenges.

A May 2022 review in the Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives noted the following about the potential effects of vaping on teens:

• Impulsivity: Adolescents with impulsive personality traits are more likely to try e-cigarettes at a younger age, and use them more often, than are their less-impulsive peers.
• Depression: Teens who vape have higher rates of depression than non-vaping teens do.
• Suicidality: Adolescent vaping has been linked with elevated rates of suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts.

The CDC Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization created by the U.S. Congress, has reported that the mental and cognitive effects of teen vaping can influence:

• Mood: Vaping may cause an increased susceptibility to mood disorders later in life.
• Anxiety: Vaping-related nicotine dependence can worsen anxiety symptoms.
• Concentration: Nicotine addiction as a result of vaping may also diminish a teens ability to maintain attention and focus.

Behavioral Effects of Vaping on Teens

Potential behavioral problems among teens who vape include using other dangerous substances and causing disruptions in school:

• Alcohol use: A December 2020 study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found that teens who vape are 3.5 times more likely to begin using alcohol when compared to non-vaping teens. Conversely, teens who drink alcohol are 3.2 times more likely to start vaping than are teens who don’t drink.
• Tobacco use: A September 2024 Global Pediatrics article claimed that teens who vape are three to five times more likely to start smoking tobacco than are peers who never use e-cigarettes.

• School problems: According to a September 2024 article on the NEA Today website, nearly 90% of teachers say that teen vaping disrupts the learning environment. Problems cited by teachers include agitation, belligerence, anger, and missed classes among students who have become dependent on nicotine and are prohibited from vaping during class.

Find Teen Mental Health Treatment in Atlanta

Time Wellness Georgia is a trusted provider of personalized outpatient care for teens in the Atlanta, GA, area who have developed addictions and mental health concerns that were either caused or worsened by compulsive vaping. 

Our evening intensive outpatient program (IOP) for teens is a safe and highly supportive environment where young people can get essential treatment without disrupting their school schedule.

Call 404-856-3426 today to learn more, or verify your insurance now.