Read the parent fact sheet

What is vaping?

Vapes or e-cigarettes are battery-powered devices with liquid inside (sometimes called vape juice or e-juice). When electricity from the battery heats the liquid, it makes a mist (aerosol) that you breathe in – this is called vaping.

There are two main types of vapes: disposable (single-use) and refillable.

Most vapes have nicotine in them – even if the package says ‘nicotine-free.’ Nicotine is the same chemical found in ‘regular’ cigarettes. It’s what makes cigarettes and vapes so addictive. Vapes can also contain other active ingredients like marijuana (weed).

In Australia, it's against the law for shops to sell vapes in sweet flavours like lollies or fruit. The only legal flavours for sale are unflavoured, mint, menthol and tobacco. It's usually not legal to buy or use vapes under the age of 18.

Why is vaping bad?

Scientists don't know the long-term effects of vaping yet. This is because vapes have not been around for very long, and there isn't enough finished research into the health effects.

What they do know is that most vapes contain toxic chemicals that are bad for your health. Some are added to make the vapes taste or smell nice, and others are created when the battery heats the liquid.

A few chemicals often found in vapes are:

• Nicotine: An extremely addictive substance that can make you feel anxious, irritated and angry when you don’t have it.
• Formaldehyde: An ingredient in cleaning liquids that’s known to cause cancer.
• Acetone: A key ingredient in lots of nail polish removers.
• Benzene: A cancer-causing ingredient in bug spray and weed killer.

One cartridge of vape liquid can have as much nicotine as one or two packs of cigarettes.

Possible short-term effects of vaping

• Feeling more anxious, stressed or depressed
• Bad breath and dry mouth
• Constant urge to vape
• Trouble playing sports and staying active due to coughing and feeling out of breath
• Problems with sleep
• Feeling sick (nausea) and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Less money to spend on food, clothes and activities
• Risk of burns and injuries if the vape or battery overheats
• Nicotine poisoning (nic sick) from accidentally swallowing vape liquid or vaping too much – this can be very dangerous.

Possible long-term effects of vaping

• Early skin wrinkles and very dry skin
• Discoloured teeth
• Life-long nicotine cravings
• Swapping from vapes to cigarettes – people who vape are more likely to start smoking
• Lung problems like trouble breathing and permanent damage
• Problems with focus, memory and learning
• Long-term mental health issues.

Call an ambulance (000) immediately if you find it hard to breathe.

Vape myth-busting

Myth one: Vaping is a ‘healthy’ alternative to smoking

You may have heard friends say vaping is a ‘healthy’ alternative to smoking. This is not true. Current research shows smoking is more dangerous than vaping, but that doesn’t mean vaping is safe. Even vaping for a short time can cause coughing, nausea, vomiting, and irritate your throat. It can also be very hard to stop vaping once you have started.

Myth two: Vapes without nicotine just make water vapour

The mist you breathe in from a vape is not water. It’s an aerosol made when a battery heats liquid. This aerosol has tiny particles from hundreds of chemicals, including some known to cause cancer.

Myth three: There are ‘safe’ vapes for sale

There are no laws around vape labels, so there is no way to tell exactly what is inside. Even ‘nicotine-free' vapes usually have some level of nicotine. Vapes that don’t contain nicotine still have nasty chemicals and particles that can harm your lungs.

What does vaping addiction look like?

The proper term for vaping addiction is ‘vaping dependence.’

If you are dependent on vaping, you will often feel the urge to vape. Then, if you don’t vape, you might:

• feel moody
• have trouble focusing
• feel anxious and jittery
• not be able to sleep
• crave vaping all the time.

These are called nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

How to quit vaping

Quitting vaping looks different for everyone. Some people find it easier to cut down on how much they vape instead of quitting all at once.

It might take a couple of tries to stop vaping altogether, and that’s okay.

Here are some first steps to quitting vaping:

1. Set a ‘quit date’ when you plan to stop vaping.
2. Write down the reasons you want to quit vaping and keep this list nearby.
3. Pay attention to your triggers: When and why do you vape? Do you vape at certain times of day, at parties, or when you are stressed? Think about whether you need to avoid these triggers for a while or what you can do instead of vaping.
4. Get rid of your vapes and refills.
5. Distract yourself when you get the urge to vape. Think about what you could do instead, like walking or another activity.
6. Ask for help if you need it. Sometimes, it’s too hard to quit on your own. This is completely normal. You can speak to your local doctor (general practitioner, or ‘GP’) or pharmacist for advice, or call Quitline on 137 848. Quitline also run a free app called ‘My QuitBuddy’ if you want support to quit on your own.

If you are finding it very hard to quit vaping, you could speak with your GP or Quitline counsellor about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT products like patches and gum help with the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

Advice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teens

There are special support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teens who want to quit vaping, with staff from Community.

You can:

• Contact Aboriginal Quitline for help quitting vaping or smoking. Call 13 78 48 and ask to speak with an Aboriginal counsellor.
• Join Facebook pages for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who want to quit vaping and smoking: Aboriginal Quitline and Koori Quitline (NSW).
• Reach out to your local Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) team. They run programs across Australia and share information on quitting smoking and vaping.
• Check out WellMob for social, emotional and cultural wellbeing resources if you need mental health support in your quitting journey.

What will happen when I quit vaping?

If you plan to stop vaping, it's good to know what to expect.

Soon after quitting, you might feel:

• a strong urge to vape
• like vaping at certain times of day or in different situations, like when you are at parties with friends
• irritable, anxious and jittery.

Before long, you should feel:

• less tempted to vape
• any breathing problems get better
• less anxious and jittery.

Helpful links

• Continue reading Teen Health Info fact sheets
• Teen Health Info: Words you hear in the health system
• headspace: Young people and vaping: what you need to know
• Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care: Let’s join the thousands quitting vapes
• Quitline
• Aboriginal Quitline
• Quit: Tips to help you quit vaping
• Quit: Mythbusting e-cigarettes
• Quit: Vaping and your health
• Lung Foundation Australia: Quitting vaping
• Tackling Indigenous Smoking: Young people

Developed by The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH); medical review by the Adolescent Medicine department, with input from the Respiratory department. Created with advice from the RCH Health Literacy Youth Advisory Committee.

Reviewed August 2025

Speak with a doctor for up-to-date and personalised medical advice.