{{short description|Device that vaporizes a liquid nicotine solution for inhalation}} {{redirect|Vape|the generally applicable device|Vaporizer (inhalation device)|the Argentine reconnaissance vehicle|VAPE}} {{distinguish|Heated tobacco product}} {{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} thumb|upright=1.25|A first-generation e-cigarette that resembles a tobacco cigarette, with a battery portion that can be disconnected and recharged using the USB power charger|alt=Photo of device thumb|Various types of e-cigarettes from 2015, including a disposable e-cigarette, a rechargeable e-cigarette, a medium-size tank device, large-size tank devices, an e-cigar, and an e-pipe|alt=Photo of devices An '''electronic cigarette''' ('''e-cigarette''') or '''vape'''{{Efn|Also known as an '''e-cig''', '''vaporizer''', '''vape pen''', '''hookah pen''', '''e-pipe''', '''nic stick''', '''razz''' or, formally, '''electronic nicotine delivery system''' ('''ENDS''').<ref name=FDA2020/>}} is a device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor,<ref name=Cheng2014>{{cite journal|last1=Cheng|first1=T.|title=Chemical evaluation of electronic cigarettes|journal=Tobacco Control |volume=23 |issue=Supplement 2|year=2014|pages=ii11–ii17|issn=0964-4563|doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051482|pmc=3995255|pmid=24732157}}</ref> often called "'''vaping'''".<ref name=Orellana-Barrios2015>{{cite journal|last1=Orellana-Barrios|first1=Menfil A.|last2=Payne|first2=Drew|last3=Mulkey|first3=Zachary|last4=Nugent|first4=Kenneth |title=Electronic cigarettes-a narrative review for clinicians|journal=The American Journal of Medicine|year=2015|volume=128|issue=7|pages=674–81|issn=0002-9343|doi=10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.01.033|pmid=25731134|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="FDA2020">{{cite web |date=14 February 2020 |title=Vaporizers, E-Cigarettes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) |url=https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/vaporizers-e-cigarettes-and-other-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems-ends |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429152950/https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/vaporizers-e-cigarettes-and-other-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems-ends |archive-date=29 April 2019 |publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>
The atomizer is a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution called e-liquid<ref name=Weaver2014>{{cite journal|last1=Weaver|first1=Michael|last2=Breland|first2=Alison |last3=Spindle|first3=Tory |last4=Eissenberg|first4=Thomas|title=Electronic Cigarettes|journal=Journal of Addiction Medicine|volume=8|issue=4|year=2014|pages=234–240|issn=1932-0620|pmc=4123220|pmid=25089953 |doi=10.1097/ADM.0000000000000043}}</ref> that cools into an aerosol of tiny droplets, vapor and air.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=David |first1=Grégory |last2=Parmentier |first2=Evelyne A. |last3=Taurino |first3=Irene |last4=Signorell |first4=Ruth |author-link4=Ruth Signorell |date=December 2020 |title=Tracing the composition of single e-cigarette aerosol droplets in situ by laser-trapping and Raman scattering |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=7929 |bibcode=2020NatSR..10.7929D |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-64886-5 |pmc=7220912 |pmid=32404884}}</ref> The vapor mainly comprises propylene glycol or glycerin, usually with nicotine and flavoring. Its exact composition varies, and depends on matters such as user behavior.{{Efn|A 2014 review found "In addition to the uniqueness of the liquid compositions in each brand, inconsistency of both the device performance properties and the data collection methodologies used by researchers contribute to the observed variation in constituent levels and to the range of particle size distributions among products."<ref name=Cheng2014/>}} E-cigarettes are activated by taking a puff or pressing a button.<ref name=Orellana-Barrios2015/><ref name=Rahman2014/> Some look like traditional cigarettes,<ref name=Orellana-Barrios2015/><ref name=Pepper2013>{{cite journal |last1=Pepper|first1=J. K.|last2=Brewer|first2=N. T.|title=Electronic nicotine delivery system (electronic cigarette) awareness, use, reactions and beliefs: a systematic review|journal=Tobacco Control |volume=23|issue=5|year=2013|pages=375–384|issn=0964-4563|doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051122 |pmc=4520227|pmid=24259045}}</ref> and most kinds are reusable.{{Efn|"Most ENDS consist of a rechargeable, battery-operated heating element and a replaceable or refillable cartridge for the e-liquid. An atomizer heats the liquid in the cartridge to convert it into an aerosol, which is then inhaled by the user. Most of these products are rechargeable, but some are disposable."<ref name=DropeCahn2017>{{cite journal |last1=Drope |first1=Jeffrey |last2=Cahn |first2=Zachary |last3=Kennedy |first3=Rosemary |last4=Liber |first4=Alex C. |last5=Stoklosa |first5=Michal |last6=Henson |first6=Rosemarie |last7=Douglas |first7=Clifford E. |last8=Drope |first8=Jacqui |title=Key issues surrounding the health impacts of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and other sources of nicotine |journal=CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians |volume=67 |issue=6 |pages=449–471 |date=November 2017 |issn=0007-9235 |doi=10.3322/caac.21413 |pmid=28961314 |s2cid=32928770 |doi-access=free}}</ref>}}
Vaping is less harmful than smoking,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yayan |first1=Josef |last2=Franke |first2=Karl-Josef |last3=Biancosino |first3=Christian |last4=Rasche |first4=Kurt |date=2024-03-01 |title=Comparative systematic review on the safety of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes |journal=Food and Chemical Toxicology |volume=185 |article-number=114507 |doi=10.1016/j.fct.2024.114507 |pmid=38331086 |issn=0278-6915|doi-access=free }}</ref> but still has health risks,<ref name="ajph.aphapublications.org">{{Cite journal |last1=Balfour |first1=David J. K. |last2=Benowitz |first2=Neal L. |last3=Colby |first3=Suzanne M. |last4=Hatsukami |first4=Dorothy K. |last5=Lando |first5=Harry A. |last6=Leischow |first6=Scott J. |last7=Lerman |first7=Caryn |last8=Mermelstein |first8=Robin J. |last9=Niaura |first9=Raymond |last10=Perkins |first10=Kenneth A. |last11=Pomerleau |first11=Ovide F. |last12=Rigotti |first12=Nancy A. |last13=Swan |first13=Gary E. |last14=Warner |first14=Kenneth E. |last15=West |first15=Robert |date=September 2021 |title=Balancing Consideration of the Risks and Benefits of E-Cigarettes |journal=American Journal of Public Health |volume=111 |issue=9 |pages=1661–1672 |doi=10.2105/AJPH.2021.306416 |pmc=8589069 |pmid=34410826 |quote=Among potentially toxic substances common to both products, cigarette smoke generally contains substantially larger quantities than e-cigarette aerosol. However, e-cigarette aerosol contains some substances not found in cigarette smoke."}}</ref> particularly for those with asthma.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chand |first1=Benjamin R. |last2=and Hosseinzadeh |first2=Hassan |date=2022-09-02 |title=Association between e-cigarette use and asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Journal of Asthma |volume=59 |issue=9 |pages=1722–1731 |doi=10.1080/02770903.2021.1971703 |issn=0277-0903 |pmid=34433366}}</ref> Limited evidence indicates that e-cigarettes are less addictive than smoking, with slower nicotine absorption rates.<ref name="NASEM">{{cite book|last1=National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) |date=18 May 2018 |title=Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507163/ |journal=National Academies Press |language=en |publisher=National Academies Press (US) |doi=10.17226/24952 |isbn=978-0-309-46834-3 |pmid=29894118 |bibcode=2018nap..book24952N |editor-first1=Kathleen |editor-first2=Leslie Y. |editor-first3=David L. |editor-last1=Stratton |editor-last2=Kwan |editor-last3=Eaton}} |quote=There is moderate evidence that risk and severity of dependence are lower for e-cigarettes than combustible tobacco cigarettes.</ref><ref name="UK-OHID-addiction">{{cite journal |last1=UK Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) |date=2022 |title=Nicotine vaping in England: an evidence update including health risks and perceptions, September 2022. A report commissioned by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1107701/Nicotine-vaping-in-England-2022-report.pdf |journal=Uk.gov |access-date=27 December 2024}}|quote=...there is substantial evidence that vaping product use delivers lower peak and overall nicotine levels to users than smoking, which may translate to lower dependence risks compared with smoking.</ref>
E-cigarettes containing nicotine are more effective than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation,<ref name="Cochrane2025">{{Cite journal |last1=Lindson |first1=Nicola |last2=Butler |first2=Ailsa R. |last3=McRobbie |first3=Hayden |last4=Bullen |first4=Chris |last5=Hajek |first5=Peter |last6=Wu |first6=Angela Difeng |last7=Begh |first7=Rachna |last8=Theodoulou |first8=Annika |last9=Notley |first9=Caitlin |last10=Rigotti |first10=Nancy A. |last11=Turner |first11=Tari |last12=Livingstone-Banks |first12=Jonathan |last13=Morris |first13=Tom |last14=Hartmann-Boyce |first14=Jamie |date=2025-01-29 |title=Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation |url= |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=1 |issue=1 |article-number=CD010216 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub9 |issn=1469-493X |pmc=11776059 |pmid=39878158}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goodier |first=Michael |date=2025-02-03 |title=First patients seen at NHS clinic in Liverpool tackling teenage vaping |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/03/first-patients-seen-at-nhs-clinic-in-liverpool-tackling-teenage-vaping |access-date=2026-04-22 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jackson |first1=Sarah E. |last2=Brown |first2=Jamie |last3=Buss |first3=Vera |last4=Shahab |first4=Lion |title=Prevalence of Popular Smoking Cessation Aids in England and Associations With Quit Success |journal=JAMA Network Open |date=17 January 2025 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=e2454962 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.54962 |pmid=39821398 |pmc=11742533 }}</ref> but have not been tested as rigorously as nicotine replacement therapy products.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal |last1=Carpenter |first1=Matthew J. |last2=Wahlquist |first2=Amy E. |last3=Dahne |first3=Jennifer |last4=Gray |first4=Kevin M. |last5=Cummings |first5=K. Michael |last6=Warren |first6=Graham |last7=Wagener |first7=Theodore L. |last8=Goniewicz |first8=Maciej L. |last9=Smith |first9=Tracy T. |title="Effect of unguided e-cigarette provision on uptake, use, and smoking cessation among adults who smoke in the USA: a naturalistic, randomised, controlled clinical trial."|journal=eClinicalMedicine |date=September 2023 |volume=63 |article-number=102142 |doi=10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102142|pmid=37753443 |pmc=10518503 }}</ref>
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==Description== {{Main|Construction of electronic cigarettes}}
thumb|upright=1.15|An exploded view of a typical e-cigarette design with transparent atomizer (labeled clearomizer in diagram) and changeable dual-coil head.|alt=The first image is displaying an exploded view of an e-cigarette with a transparent clearomizer and changeable dual-coil head. thumb|Components of a disposable e-cigarette
An electronic cigarette consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery,<ref>{{cite web|title=What's in an E-Cigarette?|url=https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/whats-in-an-e-cigarette|publisher=American Lung Association|year=2023}}</ref> and a container for e-liquid such as a cartridge or tank. E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes, including disposable devices, refillable devices, and devices with pre-filled cartridges or pods.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HOW VAPES WORK |website=Food and Drug Administration |url=https://www.fda.gov/media/159425/download |access-date=2026-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=CDC |date=2025-01-07 |title=About E-Cigarettes (Vapes) |url=https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/about.html |access-date=2026-03-13 |website=Smoking and Tobacco Use |language=en-us}}</ref>
E-cigarettes have evolved over time, and the different designs are classified in generations. First-generation e-cigarettes tend to look like traditional cigarettes and are called "cigalikes".<ref name=Farsalinos2014>{{cite journal|author1=Farsalinos KE|author2=Spyrou A|author3=Tsimopoulou K|author4=Stefopoulos C|author5=Romagna G|author6=Voudris V|title=Nicotine absorption from electronic cigarette use: Comparison between first and new-generation devices|journal=Scientific Reports|volume=4|article-number=4133|year=2014|bibcode=2014NatSR...4.4133F|doi=10.1038/srep04133|pmc=3935206|pmid=24569565}}</ref><ref name=Bhatnagar2014>{{cite journal |last1=Bhatnagar |first1=Aruni |last2=Whitsel |first2=Laurie P. |last3=Ribisl |first3=Kurt M. |last4=Bullen |first4=Chris |last5=Chaloupka |first5=Frank |last6=Piano |first6=Mariann R. |last7=Robertson |first7=Rose Marie |last8=McAuley |first8=Timothy |last9=Goff |first9=David |last10=Benowitz |first10=Neal |title=Electronic Cigarettes: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association |journal=Circulation |date=14 October 2014 |volume=130 |issue=16 |pages=1418–1436 |doi=10.1161/CIR.0000000000000107 |doi-access=free |pmid=25156991 |pmc=7643636 |orig-date=Published online 24 August 2014 |bibcode=2014Circu.130.1418B }}</ref> Second-generation devices are larger and look less like traditional cigarettes.<ref name=McRobbie2014>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncsct.co.uk/usr/pub/e-cigarette_briefing.pdf|title=Electronic cigarettes|author=Hayden McRobbie|pages=1–16|publisher=National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training|year=2014|access-date=4 June 2014|archive-date=23 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423185420/https://www.ncsct.co.uk/usr/pub/e-cigarette_briefing.pdf}}</ref> Third-generation devices include mechanical mods and variable voltage devices.<ref name=Farsalinos2014/> The fourth-generation includes sub-ohm tanks (meaning they have electrical resistance of less than 1 ohm) and temperature control.<ref name=Farsalinos2015>{{cite web|url=https://gfn.net.co/downloads/2015/Plenary%203/Konstantinos%20Farsalinos.pdf|title=Electronic cigarette evolution from the first to fourth generation and beyond|page=23|author=Konstantinos Farsalinos|publisher=Global Forum on Nicotine|year=2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708172614/http://gfn.net.co/downloads/2015/Plenary%203/Konstantinos%20Farsalinos.pdf|archive-date=8 July 2015}}</ref> There are also pod mod devices that use protonated nicotine, rather than free-base nicotine found in earlier generations,<ref name=JenssenBoykan2019/> providing higher nicotine yields.<ref name="Weedston2019">{{cite news|url=https://www.thefix.com/fda-investigate-whether-vaping-causes-seizures|title=FDA To Investigate Whether Vaping Causes Seizures|last1=Weedston|first1=Lindsey|work=The Fix|date=8 April 2019|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref><ref name=Barrington-TrimisLeventhal2018>{{cite journal|last1=Barrington-Trimis|first1=Jessica L.|last2=Leventhal|first2=Adam M.|title=Adolescents' Use of "Pod Mod" E-Cigarettes — Urgent Concerns|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|volume=379|issue=12|year=2018|pages=1099–1102|issn=0028-4793|doi=10.1056/NEJMp1805758|pmid=30134127|pmc=7489756|doi-access=free}}</ref>
Some electronic cigarettes contain synthetic nicotine analogues (for example, 6-methyl nicotine, sometimes marketed under the trade name "Metatine")<ref>{{Cite news |title=Exclusive: Nicotine-like chemicals in U.S. vapes may be more potent than nicotine, FDA says |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/nicotine-like-chemicals-us-vapes-may-be-more-potent-than-nicotine-fda-says-2024-05-29/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250601092841/https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/nicotine-like-chemicals-us-vapes-may-be-more-potent-than-nicotine-fda-says-2024-05-29/ |archive-date=2025-06-01 |access-date=2026-03-13 |work=Reuters |language=en-US|last=Emma|first=Rumney|date=May 30, 2024}}</ref> and makers are trying develop nicotine substitutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Chinese vape firms research nicotine alternatives |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/top-chinese-vape-firms-research-nicotine-alternatives-2024-09-25/ |access-date=2026-03-13|date=September 25, 2024|last=Emma|first=Rumney |website=Reuters }}</ref>
===E-liquid=== The mixture used in vapor products such as e-cigarettes is called e-liquid.<ref name="JankowskiBrożek2017">{{cite journal|last1=Jankowski|first1=Mateusz|last2=Brożek |first2=Grzegorz |last3=Lawson|first3=Joshua|last4=Skoczyński|first4=Szymon|last5=Zejda|first5=Jan |title=E-smoking: Emerging public health problem?|journal=International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health|volume=30 |issue=3|pages=329–344|year=2017|issn=1232-1087|doi=10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01046|pmid=28481369|doi-access=free}}</ref> E-liquid formulations vary widely.<ref name=Bhatnagar2014/><ref name=Bertholon2013/> A typical e-liquid is composed of propylene glycol and glycerin (95%) and a combination of flavorings, nicotine, and other additives (5%).<ref name=England2015>{{cite journal |last1=England|first1=Lucinda J.|last2=Bunnell|first2=Rebecca E.|last3=Pechacek|first3=Terry F.|last4=Tong|first4=Van T.|last5=McAfee|first5=Tim A.|title=Nicotine and the Developing Human|journal=American Journal of Preventive Medicine|year=2015|volume=49|issue=2|pages=286–93|issn=0749-3797|doi=10.1016/j.amepre.2015.01.015|pmc=4594223|pmid=25794473}}</ref><ref name=JimenezRuiz2014>{{cite journal|last1=Jimenez Ruiz|first1=CA|last2=Solano Reina|first2=S|last3=de Granda Orive|first3=JI|last4=Signes-Costa Minaya|first4=J|last5=de Higes Martinez|first5=E|last6=Riesco Miranda|first6=JA|last7=Altet Gómez|first7=N|last8=Lorza Blasco|first8=JJ|last9=Barrueco Ferrero|first9=M|last10=de Lucas Ramos|first10=P|title=The electronic cigarette. Official statement of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) on the efficacy, safety and regulation of electronic cigarettes|journal=Archivos de Bronconeumologia|date=August 2014|volume=50|issue=8|pages=362–7|doi=10.1016/j.arbres.2014.02.006|pmid=24684764}}</ref> The flavorings may be natural, artificial,<ref name="Bertholon2013">{{cite journal|last1=Bertholon|first1=J.F.|last2=Becquemin|first2=M.H.|last3=Annesi-Maesano|first3=I.|last4=Dautzenberg|first4=B.|title=Electronic Cigarettes: A Short Review|journal=Respiration|year=2013|issn=1423-0356 |volume=86|issue=5|pages=433–8|doi=10.1159/000353253|pmid=24080743|doi-access=free}}</ref> or organic.<ref name="Nosowitz2015">{{cite news|author1=Dan Nosowitz|title=America's First Certified Organic E-Cigarette Vaping Liquid Is Here|url=http://modernfarmer.com/2015/06/americas-first-certified-organic-e-cigarette-vaping-liquid-is-here/|publisher=Modern Farmer|date=5 June 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> When e-liquids are heated, by-products such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein can form. Levels of these compounds depend on device operating conditions and liquid composition.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hopstock |first1=Katherine S. |last2=Perraud |first2=Véronique |last3=Dalton |first3=Avery B. |last4=Barletta |first4=Barbara |last5=Meinardi |first5=Simone |last6=Weltman |first6=Robert M. |last7=Mirkhanian |first7=Megan A. |last8=Rakosi |first8=Krisztina J. |last9=Blake |first9=Donald R. |last10=Edwards |first10=Rufus D. |last11=Nizkorodov |first11=Sergey A. |title=Chemical Analysis of Exhaled Vape Emissions: Unraveling the Complexities of Humectant Fragmentation in a Human Trial Study |journal=Chemical Research in Toxicology |date=17 June 2024 |volume=37 |issue=6 |pages=1000–1010 |doi=10.1021/acs.chemrestox.4c00088 |pmid=38769630 |pmc=11187636 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1=Sussman | first1=R. A. | last2=Sipala | first2=F. M. | last3=Ronsisvalle | first3=S. | last4=Soulet | first4=S. |title=Analytical methods and experimental quality in studies targeting carbonyls in electronic aerosols | journal=Frontiers in Chemistry | date=2024 | volume=12 | doi=10.3389/fchem.2024.1433626 | doi-access=free | pmid=39185372 | pmc=11341475 }}</ref> There are many e-liquid makers <ref name="Blackwell2015">{{cite news |last1=Blackwell |first1=John Reid |title=Avail Vapor offers glimpse into the 'art and science' of e-liquids |url=https://richmond.com/business/local/article_9f65201a-94c0-51b1-9663-f9fbb5c522af.html |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |date=7 June 2015 }}</ref> and more than 15,000 flavors.<ref name="HenryKligerman2019">{{cite journal|last1=Henry|first1=Travis S.|last2=Kligerman|first2=Seth J.|last3=Raptis|first3=Constantine A.|last4=Mann |first4=Howard|last5=Sechrist|first5=Jacob W.|last6=Kanne|first6=Jeffrey P. |title=Imaging Findings of Vaping-Associated Lung Injury|journal=American Journal of Roentgenology|volume=214|issue=3|year=2020|pages=498–505 |issn=0361-803X|doi=10.2214/AJR.19.22251|pmid=31593518|s2cid=203985885}}</ref>
The e-liquid in e-cigarettes usually contains nicotine from tobacco, but some products use non-tobacco nicotine, including synthetic lab-made nicotine.<ref>{{Cite journal |last= |first= |date=2024-02-06 |title=Regulation and Enforcement of Non-Tobacco Nicotine (NTN) Products |url=https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/regulation-and-enforcement-non-tobacco-nicotine-ntn-products |journal=FDA |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Morean |first1=Meghan E. |last2=Bold |first2=Krysten W. |last3=Davis |first3=Danielle R. |last4=Kong |first4=Grace |last5=Krishnan-Sarin |first5=Suchitra |last6=Camenga |first6=Deepa R. |date=2022-05-13 |title=Does it come from tobacco? Young adults' interpretations of the term "tobacco-free nicotine" in a cross-sectional national survey sample |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=17 |issue=5 |article-number=e0268464 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0268464 |doi-access=free|issn=1932-6203 |pmc=9106148 |pmid=35559988 |bibcode=2022PLoSO..1768464M }}</ref> Many e-liquids use nicotine salts made by adding organic acids such as benzoic acid to nicotine, so as to reduce throat irritation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Leventhal |first1=Adam M. |last2=Madden |first2=Danielle R. |last3=Peraza |first3=Natalia |last4=Schiff |first4=Sara J. |last5=Lebovitz |first5=Lucas |last6=Whitted |first6=Lauren |last7=Barrington-Trimis |first7=Jessica |last8=Mason |first8=Tyler B. |last9=Anderson |first9=Marissa K. |last10=Tackett |first10=Alayna P. |date=2021-01-12 |title=Effect of Exposure to e-Cigarettes With Salt vs Free-Base Nicotine on the Appeal and Sensory Experience of Vaping |journal=JAMA Network Open |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=e2032757 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.32757 |pmid=33433597 |pmc=7804919 |issn=2574-3805 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cardenas |first1=Roberto Bravo |last2=Watson |first2=Clifford |last3=Valentin-Blasini |first3=Liza |title=Determination of Benzoic Acid and Benzyl Alcohol in E-Liquids (JUULTM Pods) by Isotopic Dilution High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry |journal=Contributions to Tobacco & Nicotine Research |date=2021 |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=212–220 |doi=10.2478/cttr-2021-0016 |pmid=39145113 |pmc=11323546 }}</ref> Some e-liquids also contain synthetic cooling agents.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Wong |first1=Man |last2=Martinez |first2=Teresa |last3=Tran |first3=Mona |last4=Zuvia |first4=Cori |last5=Gadkari |first5=Alisa |last6=Omaiye |first6=Esther E. |last7=Luo |first7=Wentai |last8=McWhirter |first8=Kevin J. |last9=Sha |first9=Jihui |last10=Kassem |first10=Ahmad |last11=Wohlschlegel |first11=James |last12=Talbot |first12=Prue |date=2023-10-07 |title=A synthetic coolant (WS-23) in disposable electronic cigarettes impairs cytoskeletal function in EpiAirway microtissues exposed at the air liquid interface |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=13 |issue=1 |page=16906 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-43948-4 |pmid=37805554 |pmc=10560211 |bibcode=2023NatSR..1316906W |issn=2045-2322}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Coolants in e-cigarettes are poorly researched: health impairments possible |url=https://www.bfr.bund.de/assets/01_Veröffentlichungen/Stellungnahmen_englisch/coolants-in-e-cigarettes-are-poorly-researched-health-impairments-possible.pdf |access-date=2026-03-25}}</ref>
Many countries regulate what e-liquids can contain. In the US, there are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compulsory manufacturing standards<ref name=FDA-Manufacturing-2016>{{cite web |url=https://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Manufacturing/default.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929042618/http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Manufacturing/default.htm|archive-date=29 September 2015|title=Manufacturing|publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration|date=12 August 2016}}</ref> and American E-liquid Manufacturing Standards Association (AEMSA) recommended manufacturing standards.<ref name=AEMSA2015>{{Cite book|title=E-Liquid Manufacturing Standards|url=http://www.aemsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/AEMSA-Standards-v2.3.pdf|location=US|publisher=American E-Liquid Manufacturing Standards Association (AEMSA)|date=4 September 2015|pages=1–13}}</ref> European Union standards are published in the EU Tobacco Products Directive.<ref name=FameleFerranti2014>{{cite journal|last1=Famele|first1=M.|last2=Ferranti|first2=C.|last3=Abenavoli|first3=C.|last4=Palleschi|first4=L.|last5=Mancinelli|first5=R.|last6=Draisci|first6=R.|title=The Chemical Components of Electronic Cigarette Cartridges and Refill Fluids: Review of Analytical Methods|journal=Nicotine & Tobacco Research|volume=17|issue=3|year=2014|pages=271–279|issn=1462-2203|doi=10.1093/ntr/ntu197|pmc=5479507 |pmid=25257980}}</ref>
===Coils===
Vaping cannabis usually involves higher temperatures than nicotine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-05 |title=Toxic metals from e-cigarettes can leach into vaping liquid, scarring lungs |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/toxic-metal-leached-e-cigarette-coil-permanently-scars-woman-s-n1095156 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Internal components of e-cigarettes can add metals and metalloids to the aerosol, including lead, nickel, and antimony.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Metals found in disposable e-cigarette vapor could pose health risks |url=https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2025/june/metals-found-in-disposable-e-cigarette-vapor-could-pose-health-risks.html |access-date=2026-04-02 |website=www.acs.org}}</ref>
== Use == <!-- Usage, History, Regulation, Marketing, and Economics -->
=== Popularity === thumb|upright=1.15|Estimated trends in the global number of vapers Since entering the market around 2003, e-cigarette use has risen rapidly.<ref name="Rom2014" /><ref name="BourkeBauld2017">{{cite journal|last1=Bourke|first1=Liam|last2=Bauld|first2=Linda|last3=Bullen |first3=Christopher |last4=Cumberbatch|first4=Marcus|last5=Giovannucci|first5=Edward|last6=Islami |first6=Farhad|last7=McRobbie|first7=Hayden|last8=Silverman|first8=Debra T.|last9=Catto|first9=James W.F. |title=E-cigarettes and Urologic Health: A Collaborative Review of Toxicology, Epidemiology, and Potential Risks|journal=European Urology|volume=71|issue=6|pages=915–923|year=2017|issn=0302-2838|doi=10.1016/j.eururo.2016.12.022|pmid=28073600|hdl=1893/24937 |hdl-access=free |url=http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/24937/1/E-cigarettes_review%20091216.pdf}}</ref><ref name="Schraufnage2014">{{cite journal|last1=Schraufnagel|first1=Dean E.|last2=Blasi|first2=Francesco |last3=Drummond|first3=M. Bradley|last4=Lam|first4=David C. L.|last5=Latif|first5=Ehsan|last6=Rosen |first6=Mark J.|last7=Sansores|first7=Raul|last8=Van Zyl-Smit|first8=Richard|title=Electronic Cigarettes. A Position Statement of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies|journal=American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine|volume=190|issue=6|year=2014|pages=611–618|issn=1073-449X|doi=10.1164/rccm.201407-1198PP |pmid=25006874 |s2cid=43763340 |url=https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/10758143}}</ref> In 2011 there were about 7 million adult e-cigarette users globally, increasing to 68 million in 2020 compared with 1.1 billion cigarette smokers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shapiro|first=Harry|date=2020|title=Burning Issues: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction |url=https://gsthr.org/resources/item/burning-issues-global-state-tobacco-harm-reduction-2020|access-date=2026-04-13|website=gsthr.org}}</ref> There was a further rise to 82 million e-cigarette users in 2021.<ref name="GSTHR_Report">{{cite web |title=82 million vapers worldwide in 2021: the GSTHR estimate |url=https://gsthr.org/briefing-papers/82-million-vapers-worldwide-in-2021-the-gsthr-estimate/ |website=Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction |access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref> This increase has been attributed to targeted marketing, and ecigs being cheaper and safer than combustible cigarettes.<ref name="CamengaKlein2016">{{cite journal |last1=Camenga|first1=Deepa R.|last2=Klein|first2=Jonathan D.|title=Tobacco Use Disorders|journal=Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America|volume=25|issue=3|year=2016|pages=445–460|issn=1056-4993 |doi=10.1016/j.chc.2016.02.003|pmc=4920978|pmid=27338966}}</ref> E-cigarette use is highest in China, the US, and Europe, with China having the most users.<ref name="Rahman2014" /><ref name="CaiWang2017">{{cite journal |last1=Cai|first1=Hua|last2=Wang|first2=Chen|title=Graphical review: The redox dark side of e-cigarettes; exposure to oxidants and public health concerns|journal=Redox Biology|volume=13|year=2017|pages=402–406|issn=2213-2317 |doi=10.1016/j.redox.2017.05.013|pmc=5493817|pmid=28667909}}</ref>
=== Motivation === [[File:Reasons for initiating e-cigarette use (EU 2018).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Reasons for initiating e-cigarette use in the European Union, in a 2018 Eurobarometer poll<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/index.php/eng/News/Data-news/Lung-cancer-deaths-on-the-rise-in-two-thirds-of-European-countries|title=Lung cancer deaths on the rise in two thirds of European countries |last1=Aguilar|first1=Carmen|publisher=VoxEurop/The European Data Journalism Network (EDJNet)|date=11 June 2018}}</ref>]]
There are varied reasons for e-cigarette use.<ref name=Rahman2014>{{cite journal|last1=Rahman|first1=Muhammad|last2=Hann|first2=Nicholas|last3=Wilson|first3=Andrew|last4=Worrall-Carter|first4=Linda|title=Electronic cigarettes: patterns of use, health effects, use in smoking cessation and regulatory issues|journal=Tobacco Induced Diseases|volume=12|issue=1|year=2014|page=21|doi=10.1186/1617-9625-12-21|pmc=4350653|pmid=25745382 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Most users are trying to quit smoking, but some use is recreational or as an attempt to get around smoke-free laws.<ref name=Rahman2014/><ref name=Pepper2013/><ref name=GlantzBareham2018/><ref name=Siu2015>{{cite journal|last1=Siu|first1=AL|title=Behavioral and Pharmacotherapy Interventions for Tobacco Smoking Cessation in Adults, Including Pregnant Women: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.|journal=Annals of Internal Medicine|date=22 September 2015|volume=163|issue=8|pages=622–634 |doi=10.7326/M15-2023|pmid=26389730|doi-access=free}}</ref> Many people vape to relax,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-12 |title=Boredom, relaxation and experimentation are among top reasons teens vape |url=https://news.umich.edu/boredom-relaxation-and-experimentation-are-among-top-reasons-teens-vape/ |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=University of Michigan News |language=en-US}}</ref> and some because vaping is safer than smoking.<ref name=Tomashefski2016>{{cite journal|last1=Tomashefski|first1=A|title=The perceived effects of electronic cigarettes on health by adult users: A state of the science systematic literature review.|journal=Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners|volume=28|issue=9|pages=510–515|date=21 March 2016|doi=10.1002/2327-6924.12358|pmid=26997487|s2cid=42900184}}</ref><ref name=Wang2016>{{cite journal|last1=Wang|first1=Meng|last2=Wang|first2=Jian-Wei|last3=Cao|first3=Shuang-Shuang|last4=Wang|first4=Hui-Qin|last5=Hu|first5=Ru-Ying |title=Cigarette Smoking and Electronic Cigarettes Use: A Meta-Analysis|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=13|issue=1|year=2016|page=120|issn=1660-4601|doi=10.3390/ijerph13010120 |pmc=4730511|pmid=26771624|doi-access=free}}</ref>{{sfn|McNeill|2018|p=178}} The wide choice of flavors and lower price compared to cigarettes are also important factors.<ref name=HefnerValentine2017>{{cite journal |last1=Hefner|first1=Kathryn|last2=Valentine|first2=Gerald|last3=Sofuoglu|first3=Mehmet|title=Electronic cigarettes and mental illness: Reviewing the evidence for help and harm among those with psychiatric and substance use disorders|journal=The American Journal on Addictions|volume=26|issue=4|pages=306–315|year=2017|issn=1055-0496|doi=10.1111/ajad.12504|pmid=28152247|s2cid=24298173}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>
Other motivations include reduced odor and fewer stains.<ref name=GibsonCreamer2017>{{cite journal|last1=Gibson|first1=Laura A.|last2=Creamer|first2=MeLisa R.|last3=Breland|first3=Alison B.|last4=Giachello|first4=Aida Luz |last5=Kaufman|first5=Annette|last6=Kong|first6=Grace|last7=Pechacek|first7=Terry F.|last8=Pepper|first8=Jessica K.|last9=Soule|first9=Eric K.|last10=Halpern-Felsher|first10=Bonnie|title=Measuring perceptions related to e-cigarettes: Important principles and next steps to enhance study validity|journal=Addictive Behaviors|volume=79|pages=219–225|year=2018|issn=0306-4603|doi=10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.11.017|pmc=5807230|pmid=29175027}}</ref> E-cigarettes also appeal to technophiles who enjoy customizing their devices.<ref name="GibsonCreamer2017"/>
=== Gateway hypothesis === {{See also|Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|Self-medication#Psychostimulants}} The gateway hypothesis is the idea that using less harmful drugs can lead to more harmful ones.<ref name=Lee2015>{{cite journal|last1=Lee|first1=Peter N|title=Appropriate and inappropriate methods for investigating the "gateway" hypothesis, with a review of the evidence linking prior snus use to later cigarette smoking|journal=Harm Reduction Journal|volume=12|issue=1|year=2015|page=8|issn=1477-7517|doi=10.1186/s12954-015-0040-7|pmc=4369866|pmid=25889396 |doi-access=free }}{{CC-notice|cc=by4|url=https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-015-0040-7?optIn=false|author=Peter N Lee}}</ref> Some users who begin by vaping will go on to also smoke traditional cigarettes.<ref name="Baenziger2021">{{cite journal|last1=Baenziger|first1=Olivia|last2=Ford|first2=Laura|last3=Yazidjoglou|first3=Amelia|last4=Joshy|first4=Grace|last5=Banks |first5=Emily|title=E-cigarette use and combustible tobacco cigarette smoking uptake among non-smokers, including relapse in former smokers: umbrella review, systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=BMJ Open|volume=11 |issue=3|year=2021|article-number=e045603|issn=2044-6055|doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045603|doi-access=free|pmid=33785493|pmc=8011717}}</ref><ref name="Yoong2021">{{cite journal|last1=Yoong|first1=Sze Lin|last2=Hall|first2=Alix|last3=Turon|first3=Heidi|last4=Stockings|first4=Emily|last5=Leonard|first5=Alecia|last6=Grady|first6=Alice|last7=Tzelepis|first7=Flora|last8=Wiggers|first8=John |last9=Gouda|first9=Hebe|last10=Fayokun|first10=Ranti|last11=Commar|first11=Alison|last12=Prasad|first12=Vinayak M|last13=Wolfenden|first13=Luke |title=Association between electronic nicotine delivery systems and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems with initiation of tobacco use in individuals aged < 20 years. A systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=16|issue=9|year=2021|at=e0256044|pmid=34495974|pmc=8425526 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0256044|bibcode=2021PLoSO..1656044Y|eissn=1932-6203|doi-access=free}}</ref> People with mental illnesses, who as a group are more susceptible to nicotine addiction, are at particularly high risk of dual use.<ref name="DautzenbergAdler2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dautzenberg|first1=B.|last2=Adler|first2=M.|last3=Garelik|first3=D.|last4=Loubrieu|first4=J.F.|last5=Mathern|first5=G.|last6=Peiffer|first6=G. |last7=Perriot|first7=J.|last8=Rouquet|first8=R.M.|last9=Schmitt|first9=A.|last10=Underner|first10=M.|last11=Urban|first11=T.|title=Practical guidelines on e-cigarettes for practitioners and others health professionals. A French 2016 expert's statement|journal=Revue des Maladies Respiratoires|volume=34|issue=2|pages=155–164|year=2017|issn=0761-8425|doi=10.1016/j.rmr.2017.01.001|pmid=28189437}}</ref><ref name="NansseuBigna2016">{{cite journal |last1=Nansseu|first1=Jobert Richie N.|last2=Bigna|first2=Jean Joel R.|title=Electronic Cigarettes for Curbing the Tobacco-Induced Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases: Evidence Revisited with Emphasis on Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa|journal=Pulmonary Medicine|volume=2016|year=2016|pages=1–9|issn=2090-1836|doi=10.1155/2016/4894352|pmc=5220510|pmid=28116156|doi-access=free}}{{CC-notice|cc=by4|url=https://www.hindawi.com/journals/pm/2016/4894352/|author(s)=Jobert Richie N. Nansseu and Jean Joel R. Bigna}}</ref>
However, an association between vaping and subsequent smoking does not necessarily imply a causal gateway effect.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Etter |first1=Jean-François |title=Gateway effects and electronic cigarettes |journal=Addiction |date=October 2018 |volume=113 |issue=10 |pages=1776–1783 |doi=10.1111/add.13924 |pmid=28786147 }}</ref> Instead, people may have underlying characteristics that predispose them to both activities.<ref name="HallChan2021">{{Cite journal |last1=Hall |first1=Wayne |last2=Chan |first2=Gary |date=2021-03-18 |title=The "gateway" effect of e-cigarettes may be explained by a genetic liability to risk-taking |journal=PLOS Medicine |language=en |volume=18 |issue=3 |article-number=e1003554 |doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003554 |issn=1549-1676 |pmc=7971461 |pmid=33735167 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="KozlowskiWarner2017">{{Cite journal |last1=Kozlowski |first1=Lynn T. |last2=Warner |first2=Kenneth E. |date=2017-05-01 |title=Adolescents and e-cigarettes: Objects of concern may appear larger than they are |journal=Drug and Alcohol Dependence |volume=174 |pages=209–214 |doi=10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.001 |pmid=29350617 }}</ref> There is a genetic association between smoking, vaping, gambling, promiscuity and other risk-taking behaviors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Khouja |first1=Jasmine N. |last2=Wootton |first2=Robyn E. |last3=Taylor |first3=Amy E. |last4=Smith |first4=George Davey |last5=Munafò |first5=Marcus R. |date=2021-03-18 |title=Association of genetic liability to smoking initiation with e-cigarette use in young adults: A cohort study |journal=PLOS Medicine |language=en |volume=18 |issue=3 |article-number=e1003555 |doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003555 |issn=1549-1676 |pmc=7971530 |pmid=33735204 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Young people with poor executive functioning use e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and alcohol at higher rates than their peers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pentz |first1=Mary Ann |last2=Shin |first2=HeeSung |last3=Riggs |first3=Nathaniel |last4=Unger |first4=Jennifer B. |last5=Collison |first5=Katherine L. |last6=Chou |first6=Chih-Ping |date=2015-03-01 |title=Parent, peer, and executive function relationships to early adolescent e-cigarette use: A substance use pathway? |journal=Addictive Behaviors |language=en |volume=42 |pages=73–78 |doi=10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.10.040 |pmid=25462657 |pmc=4292878 |issn=0306-4603}}</ref> E-cigarette users are also more likely to use both cannabis and unprescribed Adderall or Ritalin.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bentivegna |first1=Kathryn |last2=Atuegwu |first2=Nkiruka C. |last3=Oncken |first3=Cheryl |last4=DiFranza |first4=Joseph R. |last5=Mortensen |first5=Eric M. |date=2021-01-01 |title=Electronic Cigarettes Associated With Incident and Polysubstance Use Among Youth |journal=Journal of Adolescent Health |language=English |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=123–129 |doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.05.026 |issn=1054-139X |pmid=32641242 }}</ref> Longitudinal studies of e-cigarettes and smoking have been criticized for failing to adequately control for these and other confounding factors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chan |first1=Gary C. K. |last2=Stjepanović |first2=Daniel |last3=Lim |first3=Carmen |last4=Sun |first4=Tianze |last5=Shanmuga Anandan |first5=Aathavan |last6=Connor |first6=Jason P. |last7=Gartner |first7=Coral |last8=Hall |first8=Wayne D. |last9=Leung |first9=Janni |date=2020-09-04 |title=Gateway or common liability? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of adolescent e-cigarette use and future smoking initiation |journal=Addiction |volume=116 |issue=4 |pages=743–756 |doi=10.1111/add.15246 |pmid=32888234 |quote=Only two studies comprehensively adjusted for confounding. The median E‐value was 2.90, indicating that the estimates were not robust against unmeasured confounding. }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Phillips |first=Carl V. |date=2015-05-21 |title=Gateway Effects: Why the Cited Evidence Does Not Support Their Existence for Low-Risk Tobacco Products (and What Evidence Would) |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=5439–5464 |doi=10.3390/ijerph120505439 |issn=1660-4601 |pmc=4454978 |pmid=26006122|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Khouja |first1=Jasmine N. |last2=Suddell |first2=Steph F. |last3=Peters |first3=Sarah E. |last4=Taylor |first4=Amy E. |last5=Munafò |first5=Marcus R. |date=2021-01-01 |title=Is e-cigarette use in non-smoking young adults associated with later smoking? A systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Tobacco Control |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=8–15 |doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055433 |pmc=7803902 |pmid=32156694 |quote=None of the studies included negative controls which would provide stronger evidence for whether the association may be causal.}}</ref>
Smoking rates have continually declined as e-cigarettes have grown in popularity, especially among young people, suggesting that there is little evidence for a gateway effect at the population level.<ref name="HallChan2021"/><ref name="KozlowskiWarner2017"/> This observation has been criticized, however, for ignoring the effect of anti-smoking interventions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chapman |first1=Simon |last2=Bareham |first2=David |last3=Maziak |first3=Wasim |title=The Gateway Effect of E-cigarettes: Reflections on Main Criticisms |journal=Nicotine & Tobacco Research |date=17 April 2019 |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=695–698 |doi=10.1093/ntr/nty067 |pmc=6468127 |pmid=29660054 }}</ref>
=== Young adult and teenage users ===
Worldwide, increasing numbers of young people are vaping.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The Vaping Epidemic in Adolescents|last1=Jones|first1=Kristen|last2=Salzman|first2=Gary A.|date=2020|journal=Missouri Medicine|issue=1|volume=117|pages=56–58|pmc=7023954 |pmid=32158051}}</ref><ref name=SchneiderDiehl2016>{{cite journal |last1=Schneider|first1=Sven|last2=Diehl|first2=Katharina|title=Vaping as a Catalyst for Smoking? An Initial Model on the Initiation of Electronic Cigarette Use and the Transition to Tobacco Smoking Among Adolescents|journal=Nicotine & Tobacco Research|volume=18|issue=5|year=2016|pages=647–653|issn=1462-2203 |doi=10.1093/ntr/ntv193 |pmid=26386472|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=YoongStockings2018>{{cite journal|last1=Yoong |first1=Sze Lin|last2=Stockings|first2=Emily|last3=Chai|first3=Li Kheng|last4=Tzelepis|first4=Flora |last5=Wiggers|first5=John|last6=Oldmeadow |first6=Christopher|last7=Paul|first7=Christine|last8=Peruga |first8=Armando|last9=Kingsland|first9=Melanie|last10=Attia|first10=John|last11=Wolfenden|first11=Luke |title=Prevalence of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use among youth globally: a systematic review and meta-analysis of country level data|journal=Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health|volume=42|issue=3|pages=303–308|year=2018|issn=1326-0200|pmid=29528527 |doi=10.1111/1753-6405.12777|doi-access=free|hdl=1959.3/457642|hdl-access=free}}</ref> With access to e-cigarettes, young people's tobacco use has dropped by about 75%.<ref name="realitycheck">{{cite journal |last1=Levy |first1=David T. |last2=Warner |first2=Kenneth E. |last3=Cummings |first3=K. Michael |last4=Hammond |first4=David |last5=Kuo |first5=Charlene |last6=Fong |first6=Geoffrey T. |last7=Thrasher |first7=James F. |last8=Goniewicz |first8=Maciej Lukasz |last9=Borland |first9=Ron |title=Examining the relationship of vaping to smoking initiation among US youth and young adults: a reality check |journal=Tobacco Control |date=1 November 2019 |volume=28 |issue=6 |pages=629–635 |doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054446 |pmid=30459182 |pmc=6860409 |language=en |issn=0964-4563}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |type=Preprint |last1=West |first1=Robert |last2=Brown |first2=Jamie |last3=Jarvis |first3=Martin |title=Epidemic of youth nicotine addiction? What does the National Youth Tobacco Survey reveal about high school e-cigarette use in the USA? |doi=10.32388/745076.3 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hallingberg |first1=Britt |last2=Maynard |first2=Olivia M. |last3=Bauld |first3=Linda |last4=Brown |first4=Rachel |last5=Gray |first5=Linsay |last6=Lowthian |first6=Emily |last7=MacKintosh |first7=Anne-Marie |last8=Moore |first8=Laurence |last9=Munafo |first9=Marcus R. |last10=Moore |first10=Graham |title=Have e-cigarettes renormalised or displaced youth smoking? Results of a segmented regression analysis of repeated cross sectional survey data in England, Scotland and Wales |journal=Tobacco Control |date=1 March 2020 |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=207–216 |pmid=30936390 |pmc=7036293 |doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054584 |issn=0964-4563}}</ref> Most young e-cigarette users have never smoked,<ref name="ZhongCao2016">{{cite journal|last1=Zhong |first1=Jieming|last2=Cao|first2=Shuangshuang|last3=Gong|first3=Weiwei|last4=Fei|first4=Fangrong |last5=Wang|first5=Meng |title=Electronic Cigarettes Use and Intention to Cigarette Smoking among Never-Smoking Adolescents and Young Adults: A Meta-Analysis|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=13|issue=5 |year=2016|page=465|issn=1660-4601|pmc=4881090 |pmid=27153077|doi=10.3390/ijerph13050465|doi-access=free}}</ref> but there is a substantial minority who both vape and smoke.<ref name="Grana2014">{{cite journal|last1=Grana |first1=R|author2=Benowitz, N|author3=Glantz, SA|title=E-cigarettes: a scientific review.|journal=Circulation|date=13 May 2014 |volume=129|issue=19|pages=1972–86|doi=10.1161/circulationaha.114.007667|pmc=4018182 |pmid=24821826}}</ref> Many young people who would not smoke are vaping.<ref name="Modesto-LoweAlvarado2017">{{cite journal |last1=Modesto-Lowe|first1=Vania|last2=Alvarado|first2=Camille|title=E-cigs ... Are They Cool? Talking to Teens About E-Cigarettes|journal=Clinical Pediatrics|volume=56|issue=10|year=2017|pages=947–952 |issn=0009-9228|doi=10.1177/0009922817705188|pmid=28443340|s2cid=44423931}}</ref><ref name="GlantzBareham2018">{{cite journal |last1=Glantz|first1=Stanton A.|last2=Bareham|first2=David W. |title=E-Cigarettes: Use, Effects on Smoking, Risks, and Policy Implications|journal=Annual Review of Public Health|volume=39|issue=1|pages=215–235|date=January 2018|issn=0163-7525|doi=10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-013757|doi-access=free |pmc=6251310|pmid=29323609}}{{CC-notice|cc=by4 |url=http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-013757 |author(s)=Stanton A. Glantz and David W. Bareham}}</ref> Young people who smoke tobacco or marijuana, or who drink alcohol, are much more likely to vape.<ref name="SGUSReport2016" /><ref name="ChadiSchroeder2019">{{cite journal |last1=Chadi|first1=Nicholas|last2=Schroeder|first2=Rachel|last3=Jensen|first3=Jens Winther|last4=Levy |first4=Sharon|title=Association Between Electronic Cigarette Use and Marijuana Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults |journal=JAMA Pediatrics|volume=173|issue=10|year=2019|pages=e192574|issn=2168-6203 |doi=10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.2574|pmc=6692686|pmid=31403684}}</ref> Among young people who have tried vaping, most used a flavored product the first time.<ref name="SGUSReport2016">{{cite report |url=https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/documents/2016_SGR_Full_Report_non-508.pdf |author=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |title=E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults. A Report of the Surgeon General |place=Atlanta, GA |publisher=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health |pages=1–298 |year=2016}}{{PD-notice}}</ref><ref name="Cormet-BoyakaZare2018">{{cite journal|last1=Cormet-Boyaka|first1=Estelle|last2=Zare|first2=Samane|last3=Nemati |first3=Mehdi |last4=Zheng|first4=Yuqing|title=A systematic review of consumer preference for e-cigarette attributes: Flavor, nicotine strength, and type|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=13|issue=3|year=2018|at=e0194145|issn=1932-6203|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0194145|pmc=5854347|pmid=29543907|bibcode=2018PLoSO..1394145Z|doi-access=free}}{{CC-notice|cc=by4|url=http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0194145|author(s)=Samane Zare, Mehdi Nemati, and Yuqing Zheng}}</ref>
Vaping correlates with smoking among young people, even in those who would otherwise be unlikely to smoke.<ref name=ChatterjeeAlzghoul2016>{{cite journal|last1=Chatterjee|first1=Kshitij|last2=Alzghoul|first2=Bashar|last3=Innabi|first3=Ayoub|last4=Meena|first4=Nikhil|title=Is vaping a gateway to smoking: a review of the longitudinal studies|journal=International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health|issue=3|year=2018|volume=30|article-number=20160033 |issn=2191-0278|doi=10.1515/ijamh-2016-0033|pmid=27505084|s2cid=23977146}}</ref>
Data from the United States National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) indicate that among young people, e-cigarette use increased rapidly in the late 2010s, followed by a sustained decline in the early 2020s. In 2018, approximately 3.6 million U.S. young people reported current e-cigarette use, rising to over 5 million in 2019 (27.5% of high school students and 10.5% of middle school students).<ref>{{Cite web |title=2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey |website=Food and Drug Administration |url=https://www.fda.gov/media/132299/download |access-date=2026-04-22}}</ref> In 2020, NYTS data indicated a decrease in e-cigarette use compared with 2019, although e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among young people (19.6% of high school students and 4.7% of middle school students).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Andrea S. Gentzke |first1=PhD |last2=Teresa W. Wang |first2=PhD |last3=Ahmed Jamal |first3=Mbbs |last4=Eunice Park-Lee |first4=PhD |last5=Chunfeng Ren |first5=PhD |last6=Karen A. Cullen |first6=PhD |last7=Linda Neff |first7=PhD |date=2020 |title=Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2020 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6950a1.htm |journal=MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |language=en-us |volume=69 |issue=50 |pages=1881–1888 |doi=10.15585/mmwr.mm6950a1 |pmid=33332300 |pmc=7745956 |issn=0149-2195}}</ref> In 2022, approximately 2.5 million young people reported current use (14.1% of high school students and 3.3% of middle school students).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Park-Lee |first1=Eunice |last2=Ren |first2=Chunfeng |last3=Cooper |first3=Maria |last4=Cornelius |first4=Monica |last5=Jamal |first5=Ahmed |last6=Cullen |first6=Karen A. |date=2022-11-11 |title=Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students - United States, 2022 |journal=MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |volume=71 |issue=45 |pages=1429–1435 |doi=10.15585/mmwr.mm7145a1 |issn=1545-861X |pmc=9707354 |pmid=36355596}}</ref> Subsequent surveillance data have reported continued declines. In 2023, an estimated 2.13 million young people reported current e-cigarette use (10.0% of high school students and 4.6% of middle school students).<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Center for Tobacco Products |date=2023-11-13 |title=Results from the annual National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) |url=https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/results-annual-national-youth-tobacco-survey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203171443/https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/results-annual-national-youth-tobacco-survey |archive-date=2024-02-03 |access-date=2026-04-22 |work=U.S. Food and Drug Administration |language=en}}</ref> The 2024 NYTS reported further decline to 1.63 million young people (5.9% overall), with high school use decreasing from 10.0% in 2023 to 7.8%, and middle school student use of e-cigarettes had reduced from 4.6% to 3.5%.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Products |first=Center for Tobacco |date=2025-07-22 |title=Results from the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) |url=https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/results-annual-national-youth-tobacco-survey-nyts |journal=FDA |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Jamal |first1=Ahmed |last2=Park-Lee |first2=Eunice |last3=Birdsey |first3=Jan |last4=West |first4=Andrenita |last5=Cornelius |first5=Monica |last6=Cooper |first6=Maria R. |last7=Cowan |first7=Hannah |last8=Wang |first8=Jia |last9=Sawdey |first9=Michael D. |last10=Cullen |first10=Karen A. |last11=Navon |first11=Livia |date=2024-10-17 |title=Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students - National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024 |journal=MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |volume=73 |issue=41 |pages=917–924 |doi=10.15585/mmwr.mm7341a2 |issn=1545-861X |pmc=11486349 |pmid=39418216}}</ref> Among U.S. high school students, e-cigarette use peaked in 2019 and had fallen substantially by 2024 (7.8% in high school students and 3.5% in middle school students). During that period, the FDA also expanded enforcement activity against unauthorized e-cigarette products.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=TESTIMONYOFBRIAN A. KING, PHD, MPHDIRECTORCENTER FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS (CTP) FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES |website=Food and Drug Administration |url=https://www.fda.gov/media/179312/download |access-date=2026-04-23}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Commissioner |first=Office of the |date=2024-09-05 |title=Youth E-Cigarette Use Drops to Lowest Level in a Decade |url=https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/youth-e-cigarette-use-drops-lowest-level-decade |access-date=2026-04-23 |website=FDA |language=en}}</ref> Despite these declines, e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among US youth for the 11<sup>th</sup> consecutive year in 2024, while cigarette smoking reached historically low levels (1.4% current use).<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> Compared to e-cigarettes, conventional cigarette use had fallen to 1.7% among high school students and 1.1% among middle school students, the lowest prevalence recorded by the survey, according to the 2024 NYTS.<ref name=":6" /> Among young people who used e-cigarettes in 2024, 26.3% reported daily use and 87.6% used flavored products, with fruit flavors being the most common.<ref name="auto"/> Analyses of NYTS data indicate that the decline observed between 2023 and 2024 was primarily driven by reductions among high school students. The same report noted that disparities persist, with increased in tobacco product use observed in some groups. US federal reporting has also described a longer-term pattern in which e-cigarette use among young people peaked in 2019 and declined substantially by 2024; during this period, regulatory and enforcement actions against unauthorized e-cigarette products were expanded. <ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8" />
Data from other countries provide additional comparisons. In Great Britain, a 2024 ASH/YouGov youth survey reported that vaping among 11-17 year olds appears to have stabilized after earlier increases (ever-use 18% in 2024 compared with 20% in 2023). The same survey reported current vaping at 7.2% among 11-17 year olds (including less-than-monthly use).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Use of vapes (e-cigarettes) among young people in Great Britain |url=https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Use-of-vapes-among-young-people-in-Great-Britain-2024.pdf?v=1725288402 |access-date=2026-04-28}}</ref> Additionally, UK reporting has described proposals in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including restrictions aimed at reducing youth uptake.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First NHS vape clinic treating addicts as young as 11 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/9eeca2c8-d2ab-4a0c-92bb-d35221d43b23 |access-date=2026-05-05}}</ref> Following 2024 UK survey results, the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health called for measures including restrictions on disposable e-cigarettes, flavors, and advertising to reduce youth uptake.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RCPCH responds to latest ASH youth vaping data {{!}} RCPCH |url=https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/news-events/news/rcpch-responds-latest-ash-youth-vaping-data |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=www.rcpch.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> In Canada, there was a trend showing 29% of young people reporting to have used e-cigarettes in 2017, increasing to 37% in 2018.<ref name="Jiahong, Xi - American Journal of Public Health">{{Cite journal |last1=Sun |first1=Jiahong |last2=Xi |first2=Bo |last3=Ma |first3=Chuanwei |last4=Zhao |first4=Min |last5=Bovet |first5=Pascal |date=April 2022 |title=Prevalence of E-Cigarette Use and Its Associated Factors Among Youths Aged 12 to 16 Years in 68 Countries and Territories: Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 2012‒2019 |journal=American Journal of Public Health |language=en |volume=112 |issue=4 |pages=650–661 |doi=10.2105/AJPH.2021.306686 |issn=0090-0036 |pmc=8961851 |pmid=35319939}}</ref> In New Zealand, school survey data indicated that regular and daily vaping had declined by 2024 after peaking in 2021 and the 2024/25 the New Zealand Health Survey reported that daily smoking had reduced to below 5.0% among people aged 15-24. ASH New Zealand stated that earlier increases in youth vaping occurred during a period before vaping products were comprehensively regulated in late 2020. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-19 |title=Trends in smoking and vaping: New Zealand Health Survey 2024/25 {{!}} Ministry of Health NZ |url=https://www.health.govt.nz/monitoring-statistics/surveys/new-zealand-health-survey/publications/202425-survey-publications/trends-in-smoking-and-vaping |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=www.health.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Youdan |first=Ben |title=Youth vaping declines for a 3rd year in Aotearoa's largest youth survey of its kind, smoking remains low |url=https://www.ash.org.nz/youth_vaping_declines_for_a_3rd_year |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=ASH NZ |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Harm Reduction and Vaping |url=https://www.ash.org.nz/vaping-and-harm-reduction |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=ASH NZ |language=en}}</ref> In Canada reported that past-30-day vaping among youth aged 12-17 declined from 13.2% in 2019 to 7.2% in 2023. Health Canada also set a target of reducing vaping prevalence among those aged 12 to 17 to below 10% by 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Service |date=2015-10-13 |title=Discussion paper on the third legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/programs/consultation-third-legislative-review-tobacco-vaping-products-act/document.html |access-date=2026-04-22 |website=www.canada.ca}}</ref>
== Health effects == {{See|Health effects of electronic cigarettes}}
== History ==
It is commonly stated that the modern e-cigarette was patented in 2003 by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, but tobacco companies had been developing nicotine aerosol generation devices since as early as 1963.<ref name="DutraGrana2016">{{cite journal|last1=Dutra|first1=Lauren M|last2=Grana|first2=Rachel|last3=Glantz|first3=Stanton A|year=2016|title=Philip Morris research on precursors to the modern e-cigarette since 1990|journal=Tobacco Control|volume=26|issue=e2|pages=tobaccocontrol–2016–053406|doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053406|issn=0964-4563|pmc=5432409|pmid=27852893}}</ref>
===Early prototypes and barriers to entry: 1920s–1990s=== In 1927, Joseph Robinson applied for a patent for an electronic vaporizer to be used with medicinal compounds.<ref name="Sharma2018">{{cite news|url=https://www.techpluto.com/a-modern-device-with-an-illustrious-history/|title=A Modern Device with an Illustrious History|publisher=TechPluto|author=Prashant Sharma|date=6 November 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> The patent was approved in 1930 but the device was never marketed.<ref name=CASAA2016>{{cite news|url=http://www.casaa.org/historical-timeline-of-electronic-cigarettes/|title=A Historical Timeline of Electronic Cigarettes|publisher=The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association|year=2016}}</ref> In 1930, the United States Patent and Trademark Office reported a patent stating, "for holding medicinal compounds which are electrically or otherwise heated to produce vapors for inhalation."<ref name="FarsalinosGillman2016">{{cite book |last1=Farsalinos |first1=Konstantinos E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j20kDAAAQBAJ |title=Analytical Assessment of e-Cigarettes: From Contents to Chemical and Particle Exposure Profiles |last2=Gillman |first2=I. Gene |last3=Hecht |first3=Stephen S. |last4=Polosa |first4=Riccardo |last5=Thornburg |first5=Jonathan |date=16 November 2016 |publisher=Elsevier Science |isbn=978-0-12-811242-7 |page=1 |author-link4=Riccardo Polosa}}</ref> In 1934 and 1936, further similar patents were applied for.<ref name=FarsalinosGillman2016/>
The earliest e-cigarette can be traced to American Herbert A. Gilbert.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/2014/12/07/americas_vaping_revolution_how_suspicious_should_we_really_be_of_the_e_cigarette_craze|title=America's vaping revolution: How suspicious should we really be of the e-cigarette craze?|work=Salon|author=Noah Charney|date=7 December 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> In 1963, Gilbert applied for a patent for "a smokeless non-tobacco cigarette" that involved "replacing burning tobacco and paper with heated, moist, flavored air".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.google.com/patents?id=RjlUAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012190130/http://www.google.com/patents?id=RjlUAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false|archive-date=12 October 2011|title=US Patent 3200819. Smokeless non-tobacco cigarette|date=17 August 1965}}</ref><ref name=Bellis2015/> This device produced flavored steam without nicotine.<ref name=Bellis2015/> The patent was granted in 1965.<ref name="PH2014">{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/03/e-cigarette-patent-wars|title=A case of the vapers|publisher=Economist Group|author=P.H.|date=17 March 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Gilbert's invention was ahead of its time.<ref name="Beck2014">{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/schrodingers-cigarette-is-electronic-safer/372671/|title=Schrödinger's Cigarette: Is Electronic Safer?|work=The Atlantic|author=Julie Beck|date=13 June 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> However, it received little attention<ref name=Millstein2009>{{cite news|url=https://timeline.com/stories/e-cigarettes-vape-ban-health-nicotine-smoking|title=The Push to Ban E-Cigarettes: Where's the Proof?|last1=Millstein|first1=Seth|work=TimeLine|date=25 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702161454/https://timeline.com/stories/e-cigarettes-vape-ban-health-nicotine-smoking|archive-date=2 July 2015}}</ref> and was never commercialized<ref name=Bellis2015>{{cite web|url=http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/Electronic-Cigarettes.htm|title=Who Invented Electronic Cigarettes?|publisher=About.com|author=Mary Bellis|year=2015|access-date=21 September 2013|archive-date=1 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801004411/https://www.thoughtco.com/famous-inventions-4133301}}</ref> because smoking was still fashionable at that time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Administrator |first=walesonline |date=2013-03-21 |title=Electronic Cigarette Sales on the Rise |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/special-features/electronic-cigarette-sales-rise-1817925 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref> Gilbert said in 2013 that today's electric cigarettes follow the basic design set forth in his original patent.<ref name=PH2014/>
The Favor cigarette, introduced in 1986 by public company Advanced Tobacco Products, was another early noncombustible product promoted as an alternative nicotine-based tobacco product.<ref name=SGUSReport2016/> Favor was conceptualized by Phil Ray, one of the founders of Datapoint Corporation and inventors of the microprocessor. Development started in 1979 by Phil Ray and Norman Jacobson.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/ashtray-blog/2014/06/favor-cigarette-interview-dr-norman-jacobson.html | publisher=Ashtray Blog | title=Vaping 1970's Style: An Interview with One of the Pioneers | first=James | last=Dunworth | date=June 2014 | access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref> Favor was a "plastic, smoke-free product shaped and colored like a conventional cigarette that contained a filter paper soaked with liquid nicotine so users could draw a small dose by inhaling. There was no electricity, combustion, or smoke; it delivered only nicotine."<ref>{{cite thesis |last=MCGonegal |first=Matthew |date=November 2019 |title="Can I rip your Juul?" |type=Bsc |chapter= |publisher=University of Oregon | url=https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/25781 | access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref>
Favor cigarettes were sold in California and several Southwestern states, marketed as "an alternative to smokers, and only to smokers, to use where smoking is unacceptable or prohibited."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-05-27-8602070938-story.html | title=Company sniffs profits from a smokeless cigarette | newspaper=Chicago Tribune | date=27 May 1986 | access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref> In 1987, the FDA exercised jurisdiction over products analogous to E-Cigarettes.<ref>{{cite web | title=FDA's Brief in Opposition to Motion for Preliminary Injunction | date=11 May 2009 | url=https://www.fda.gov/media/77379/download | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122205500/https://www.fda.gov/media/77379/download | archive-date=22 January 2021 | publisher=Food and Drug Administration}}</ref> Advanced Tobacco Products never challenged the Warning Letter and ceased all distribution of Favor.<ref>{{cite web | title=Spotlight on Tobacco {{!}} Future Developments in the Regulation of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Potential Over-the-Counter Pathway | url=https://www.fdli.org/2018/10/spotlight-on-tobacco-future-developments-in-the-regulation-of-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems-potential-over-the-counter-pathway/ | first1=Azim | last1=Chowdhury | first2=Samuel | last2=Jockel | publisher=Food and Drug Law Institute | series=Update magazine | date=October–November 2018 | access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref> Ray's wife Brenda Coffee coined the term ''vaping''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.1010parkplace.com/a-deadly-addicting-lie/ | first=Brenda | last=Coffee | publisher=1010ParkPlace | title=A deadly addicting lie | date=22 December 2018 | access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref> Philip Morris' division NuMark, launched in 2013 the MarkTen e-cigarette that Philip Morris had been working on since 1990.<ref name="DutraGrana2016" />
===Modern electronic cigarette: 2000s=== Despite these earlier efforts, Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist and inventor, who worked as a research pharmacist for a company producing ginseng products,<ref name="Demick2009">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-25-fg-china-cigarettes25-story.html|author=Barbara Demick|title=A high-tech approach to getting a nicotine fix|work=Los Angeles Times|date=25 April 2009|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> is frequently credited with the invention of the modern e-cigarette.<ref name=DutraGrana2016/> Hon quit smoking after his father, also a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer.<ref name=Demick2009/> In 2001, he thought of using a high frequency, piezoelectric ultrasound-emitting element to vaporize a pressurized jet of liquid containing nicotine.<ref name="Sridi2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/sante/20131007.OBS0070/i-was-sure-that-the-electronic-cigarette-would-be-welcomed-with-open-arms.html|title=I was sure that the electronic cigarette would be welcomed with open arms|last1=Sridi|first1=Nicolas|publisher=Sciences et Avenir|date=10 July 2013|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> This design creates a smoke-like vapor.<ref name=Demick2009/> Hon said that using resistance heating obtained better results and the difficulty was to scale down the device to a small enough size.<ref name=Sridi2013/> Hon's invention was intended to be an alternative to smoking.<ref name=Sridi2013/> Hon Lik sees the e-cigarette as comparable to the "digital camera taking over from the analogue camera."<ref name=Hancock2013/> Ultimately, Hon Lik did not quit smoking. He is now a dual user, both smoking and vaping.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calver |first=Ben Spencer and {{!}} Tom |date=2021-10-30 |title=Vape nation: how did Britain end up so hooked on e‑cigarettes? |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/vape-nation-how-did-britain-end-up-so-hooked-on-e-cigarettes-q5r5vg89s |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>
[[File:Ruyan electronic cigar first generation.jpg|thumb|The Ruyan e-cigar was first launched in China in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/29435175/ns/health-addictions/t/e-cigarettes-attracting-attention-scrutiny/#.V7guajZRE5s|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306082410/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29435175/ns/health-addictions/t/e-cigarettes-attracting-attention-scrutiny/#.V7guajZRE5s|archive-date=6 March 2016|title=E-cigarettes attracting attention — and scrutiny|work=NBCNews.com |agency=Associated Press|date=27 February 2009}}</ref>|alt=Ruyan first-generation electronic cigar.]] Hon Lik registered a patent for the modern e-cigarette design in 2003.<ref name=Sridi2013/> Hon is credited with developing the first commercially successful electronic cigarette.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/04/business/chinese-e-cigarette-inventor-fights-for-royalties/#.VWv8ulJI3s1|title=Chinese e-cigarette inventor fights for royalties|work=The Japan Times|author=Tom Hancock|date=4 October 2013|access-date=1 June 2015|archive-date=1 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801004413/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/article-expired/#.VWv8ulJI3s1}}</ref> The e-cigarette was first introduced to the Chinese domestic market in 2004.<ref name=Demick2009/> Many versions made their way to the US, sold mostly over the Internet by small marketing firms.<ref name=Demick2009/> E-cigarettes entered the European market and the US market in 2006 and 2007.<ref name=HiemstraBals2016>{{cite journal|last1=Hiemstra|first1=Pieter S.|last2=Bals|first2=Robert|title=Basic science of electronic cigarettes: assessment in cell culture and in vivo models |journal=Respiratory Research|volume=17|issue=1|page=127|year=2016|issn=1465-993X|doi=10.1186/s12931-016-0447-z|pmc=5055681|pmid=27717371 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The company that Hon worked for, Golden Dragon Holdings, registered an international patent in November 2007.<ref name=Espacenet2007>{{cite web|url=http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=US&NR=2007267031&KC=&FT=E&locale=en_EP|title=Electronic Atomization Cigarette|website=Worldwide.espacenet.com|date=22 November 2007|access-date=31 May 2011|archive-date=1 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101234337/http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=US&NR=2007267031&KC=&FT=E&locale=en_EP}}</ref> The company changed its name to Ruyan (如烟, literally "like smoke"<ref name=Demick2009/>) later the same month,<ref name=CSDStaff2013/> and started exporting its products.<ref name=Demick2009/> Ruyan later changed its company name to Dragonite International Limited.<ref name="CSDStaff2013">{{cite news |url=http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2013/08/21/dragonite-sells-e-vapor-business-to-itg/#_|title=Dragonite Sells E-Vapor Business To ITG|publisher=Convenient Store Decisions|author=Staff|date=21 August 2013|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
Many e-cigarette makers copied his designs illegally, so Hon didn't receive all of the financial reward for his invention.<ref name="Hancock2013">{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/chinas-e-cigarette-inventor-fights-for-financial-rewards/ |title=China's e-cigarette inventor fights for financial rewards |author=Tom Hancock|publisher=Fox News Channel|date=1 October 2013|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> In 2009 his company successfully sued a competitor in China,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-23-2009/0004976920&EDATE=|title=Ruyan Press release: Ruyan Asserts Patent Rights to E-cigarette in Key China Court Ruling|access-date=2009-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227063710/http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F02-23-2009%2F0004976920&EDATE=|archive-date=2009-02-27}}</ref> and after getting a US patent in 2012, they launched patent infringement lawsuits against multiple US companies.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Angle |first1=Robert |last2=Carr |first2=Dabney |title=Ruyan Patent Litigation as Reason to Consider Patent Protection |publisher=Troutman Sanders Tobacco Law |date=July 2012 |url=http://www.tobaccolawblog.com/2012/07/ruyan-patent-litigation-as-reason-to-consider-patent-protection/ |access-date=February 1, 2013}}</ref> In 2013 his company sold its e-vapor business to Imperial Brands for 75 million USD.<ref name=Hancock2013/><ref name=CSDStaff2013/> As of 2014, most e-cigarettes used a battery-powered heating element rather than the earlier ultrasonic technology design.<ref name=Bhatnagar2014/>
Initially, their performance did not meet the expectations of users.<ref name=GarnerStevens2014/> The e-cigarette continued to evolve from the first-generation three-part device.<ref name=Bhatnagar2014/> In 2007, British entrepreneurs Umer and Tariq Sheikh invented the cartomizer.<ref name=E2015>{{cite web|url=http://stevevape.com/what-does-the-future-hold-for-vaping-technology/|title=What Does The Future Hold For Vaping Technology?|author=Mike K|work=Steve K's Vaping World|date=9 June 2015|access-date=11 October 2015|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727100238/https://www.stevevape.com/what-does-the-future-hold-for-vaping-technology/}}</ref> This is a mechanism that integrates the heating coil into the liquid chamber.<ref name=E2015/> They launched this new device in the UK in 2008 under their Gamucci brand<ref name=Denham2013>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityam.com/article/brothers-who-took-punt-new-market/|title=Brothers who took a punt on a new market|publisher=CityAM|author=Annabel Denham|date=10 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507042819/http://www.cityam.com/article/brothers-who-took-punt-new-market/|archive-date=7 May 2016}}</ref> and the design is now widely adopted by most "cigalike" brands.<ref name=Bhatnagar2014/> Other users tinkered with various parts to produce more satisfactory homemade devices, and the hobby of "modding" was born.<ref name=Grothaus2014/> The first mod to replace the e-cigarette's case to accommodate a longer-lasting battery, dubbed the "screwdriver", was developed by Ted and Matt Rogers<ref name=Grothaus2014/> in 2008.<ref name=GarnerStevens2014>{{cite web |url=https://www.coresta.org/sites/default/files/technical_documents/main/ECIG-RefRep_Ecig-History-Operation-Regulation_Feb2014b.pdf|title=A Brief Description of History, Operation and Regulation |last1=Garner|first1=Charles|last2=Stevens|first2=Robert|website=Coresta|date=February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303041105/http://www.coresta.org/Reports/ECIG-RefRep_Ecig-History-Operation-Regulation_Feb2014b.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> This device generated a lot of interest, as it let the user to vape for hours at one time.<ref name="Grothaus2014" /> Other enthusiasts built their own mods to improve functionality or aesthetics.<ref name=Grothaus2014/> When pictures of mods appeared at online vaping forums many people wanted them, so some mod makers produced more for sale.<ref name=Grothaus2014/>
These mods led to demand for customizable e-cigarettes, prompting manufacturers to produce devices with interchangeable components that could be selected by the user.<ref name=GarnerStevens2014/> In 2009, Joyetech developed the eGo series<ref name=E2015/> which offered the power of the screwdriver model and a user-activated switch to a wide market.<ref name=GarnerStevens2014/> The clearomizer was invented in 2009.<ref name=E2015/> Originating from the cartomizer design, it contained the wicking material, an e-liquid chamber, and an atomizer coil within a single clear component.<ref name=E2015/> The clearomizer allows the user to monitor the liquid level in the device.<ref name=E2015/> Soon after the clearomizer reached the market, replaceable atomizer coils and variable voltage batteries were introduced.<ref name=E2015/> Clearomizers and eGo batteries became the best-selling customizable e-cigarette components in early 2012.<ref name=GarnerStevens2014/>
===International growth: 2010s=== The market for electronic cigarettes rose rapidly during the early 2010s and it started gaining attention in mainstream media.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Drummond |first1=M Bradley |last2=Upson |first2=Dona |date=Feb 2014 |title=Electronic Cigarettes. Potential Harms and Benefits |journal=Annals of the American Thoracic Society |language=en |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=236–242 |doi=10.1513/AnnalsATS.201311-391FR |pmid=24575993 |pmc=5469426 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Caponnetto |first1=Pasquale |last2=Campagna |first2=Davide |last3=Papale |first3=Gabriella |last4=Russo |first4=Cristina |last5=Polosa |first5=Riccardo |date=2012-02-01 |title=The emerging phenomenon of electronic cigarettes |journal=Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=63–74 |doi=10.1586/ers.11.92 |pmid=22283580 }}</ref> In the United States, some of the most notable start-ups in the market were blu eCigs, NJOY, V2 Cigs, and Logic, as of 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robehmed |first=Natalie |date=September 17, 2013 |title=E-cigarette Sales Surpass $1 Billion As Big Tobacco Moves In |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2013/09/17/e-cigarette-sales-surpass-1-billion-as-big-tobacco-moves-in/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmc=6510614 | date=2019 | last1=Nicksic | first1=N. E. | last2=Brosnan | first2=P. G. | last3=Chowdhury | first3=N. | last4=Barnes | first4=A. J. | last5=Cobb | first5=C. O. | title="Think it. Mix it. Vape it.": A Content Analysis on E-cigarette Radio Advertisements | journal=Substance Use & Misuse | volume=54 | issue=8 | pages=1355–1364 | doi=10.1080/10826084.2019.1581219 | pmid=30860933 }}</ref> International tobacco companies dismissed e-cigarettes as a fad at first.<ref name="Akam2015">{{cite news |last1=Akam |first1=Simon |date=27 May 2015 |title=Big Tobacco fights back: how the cigarette kings bought the vaping industry |url=http://europe.newsweek.com/big-tobacco-fights-back-how-cigarette-kings-bought-vaping-industry-327758 |work=Newsweek|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> However, recognizing the development of a potential new market sector that could render traditional tobacco products obsolete,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kodak moment |url=https://www.economist.com/business/2013/09/28/kodak-moment |access-date=2026-04-13 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> they began to produce and market their own brands of e-cigarettes and acquire existing e-cigarette companies.<ref name="Esterl2014">{{cite web |author=Mike Esterl |date=3 February 2014 |title=Altria Expands in E-Cigarettes With Green Smoke |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304626804579360552508696542 |work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
The large tobacco companies bought some of the established e-cigarette companies.<ref name=FranckFilion2016>{{cite journal|last1=Franck|first1=Caroline|last2=Filion|first2=Kristian B.|last3=Kimmelman|first3=Jonathan|last4=Grad|first4=Roland|last5=Eisenberg|first5=Mark J.|title=Ethical considerations of e-cigarette use for tobacco harm reduction|journal=Respiratory Research|volume=17|issue=1|page=53|year=2016|issn=1465-993X|doi=10.1186/s12931-016-0370-3|pmc=4869264|pmid=27184265 |doi-access=free }}{{CC-notice|cc=by4|url=https://respiratory-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12931-016-0370-3|author(s)=Caroline Franck, Kristian B. Filion, Jonathan Kimmelman, Roland Grad and Mark J. Eisenberg}}</ref> blu eCigs, a prominent US e-cigarette manufacturer, was acquired by Lorillard Inc.<ref>{{cite web |author=Brian Montopoli |date=11 June 2013 |title=Tobacco companies bet on electronic cigarettes |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tobacco-companies-bet-on-electronic-cigarettes/ |work=CBS News|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> for $135 million in April 2012.<ref name="Nasaw2012">{{cite news |author=Daniel Nasaw |date=5 December 2012 |title=Electronic cigarettes challenge anti-smoking efforts |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20583902 |work=BBC News|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Japan Tobacco invested in Ploom. British American Tobacco was the first tobacco business to sell e-cigarettes in the UK<ref name="Manning2013" /> and launched the e-cigarette Vype in July 2013.<ref name="Manning2013">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-american-tobacco-enters-electronic-cigarette-market-in-britain-with-the-vype-8737286.html|author=Sanchez Manning|title=British American Tobacco enters electronic cigarette market in Britain with the 'Vype'|work=The Independent|date=29 July 2013|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Imperial Tobacco's Fontem Ventures acquired the intellectual property owned by Hon Lik through Dragonite International Limited for $US 75 million in 2013 and launched Puritane in partnership with Boots UK.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-02/imperial-tobacco-agrees-to-acquire-dragonite-s-e-cigarette-unit.html |title=Imperial Tobacco Agrees to Acquire Dragonite's E-Cigarette Unit|last1=Gustafsson|first1=Katarina|work=Bloomberg News|date=2 September 2013|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> On 1 October 2013 Lorillard Inc. acquired another e-cigarette company, this time the UK based company SKYCIG.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/blog/2013/10/lorillard-acquires-british-e-cig.html|title=Lorillard acquires British e-cig maker for $48.6M|last1=Arcieri |first1=Katie|publisher=Triad Business Journal|date=1 October 2013|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> SKY was rebranded as blu.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.csnews.com/product-categories/tobacco/lorillard-rebrand-skycig-blu-ecigs?nopaging=1 |title=Lorillard to Rebrand SKYCIG as blu eCigs|work=Convenience Store News|date=27 March 2014}}</ref>
[[File:All e-cigarettes vs. Juul.jpg|thumb|Various e-cigarettes from 2018. From left to right: Phix, Juno, Von Erl, Juul]] On 3 February 2014, Altria Group, Inc. acquired popular e-cigarette brand Green Smoke<ref name="Crook2018">{{cite news |last=Crook |first=Jordan |date=20 December 2018 |title=Juul Labs gets $12.8 billion investment from Marlboro Maker Altria Group |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/20/juul-labs-gets-12-8-billion-investment-from-marlboro-maker-altria-group/ |work=TechCrunch|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>{{Efn|Altria no longer sells e-cigarettes.<ref name=Crook2018/>}}<ref name=Cooke2015>{{cite journal|last1=Cooke|first1=Andrew |last2=Fergeson|first2=Jennifer|last3=Bulkhi|first3=Adeeb|last4=Casale|first4=Thomas B.|title=The Electronic Cigarette: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly|journal=The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice|volume=3|issue=4|year=2015|pages=498–505|issn=2213-2198|pmid=26164573 |doi=10.1016/j.jaip.2015.05.022}}</ref> for $110 million.<ref name="ReutersAltria2014">{{cite news |title=RPT-Fitch: Altria Green Smoke Buy Highlights Industry e-Cig Interest |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/fitch-altria-green-smoke-buy-highlights/rpt-fitch-altria-green-smoke-buy-highlights-industry-e-cig-interest-idUSFit68990920140205 |access-date=13 November 2022 |work=Reuters |date=5 February 2014 |language=en}}</ref> The deal was finalized in April 2014 for $110 million with $20 million in incentive payments.<ref name="FoxBizAltria2016">{{cite news |last1=Egan |first1=Matt |title=Altria Bolsters E-Cigarette Business With $110M Buy of Green Smoke |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/altria-bolsters-e-cigarette-business-with-110m-buy-of-green-smoke |access-date=13 November 2022 |work=FOXBusiness |date=9 January 2016}}</ref> Altria also markets its own e-cigarette, the MarkTen, while Reynolds American has entered the sector with its Vuse product.<ref name=Esterl2014/> Philip Morris, the world's largest tobacco company, purchased UK's Nicocigs in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/philip-morris-buys-ecigarette-maker-nicocigs-as-it-warns-of-falling-profits-9565087.html|author=Gideon Spanier|title=Philip Morris buys e-cigarette maker Nicocigs as it warns of falling profits|work=The Independent|date=26 June 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> On 30 April 2015, Japan Tobacco bought the US Logic e-cigarette brand.<ref name=CSN2015/> Japan Tobacco also bought the UK E-Lites brand in June 2014.<ref name=CSN2015>{{cite news|url=https://csnews.com/japan-tobaccos-global-ambitions-lead-logic-acquisition|title=Japan Tobacco's Global Ambitions Lead to Logic Acquisition |work=Convenience Store News|date=30 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="Cooke2015" /> On 15 July 2014, Lorillard sold blu to Imperial Tobacco as part of a deal for $7.1 billion.<ref name="Mangan2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/07/15/feeling-blu-e-cig-company-spun-off-in-major-tobacco-deal.html|title=Feeling blu? E-cig company spun off in major tobacco deal|first1=Dan |last1=Mangan|publisher=CNBC|date=15 July 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
Following these changes, the main players in the e-cigarette market (at least in the US) were as follows (as of end 2015):<ref>{{cite web|date= January 5, 2016 |url=https://www.akleg.gov/basis/get_documents.asp?session=29&docid=40849 |title=Nielsen: Tobacco "All Channel" Data Through 12/26|first1=Bonnie |last1=Herzog|first2=Adam |last2=Scott|first3=Patty |last3=Kanada|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+ !Company !Brand(s) |- |Reynolds American, Inc. |Vuse |- |Fontem (Imperial Brands) |Blu |- |Japan Tobacco International |Logic |- |Altria Group |MarkTen, Green Smoke |- |CB Distributors |21st Century Smoke |- |Njoy, Inc. |NJOY |- |Ballantyne Brands, Inc. |Mistic, NEO |- |VMR Products |V2, Vapor Couture |- |Nicotek |Metro |- |FIN Branding Group |FIN |} Despite the acquisitions by big tobacco companies, some independent e-cigarette companies had more success, most notably Juul Labs, as of 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Craver |first1=Richard |title=Reynolds Vapor prepares national launch of new e-cig rival to Juul |url=https://journalnow.com/business/reynolds-vapor-prepares-national-launch-of-new-e-cig-rival/article_7ba10442-d438-575e-af23-794173089a8a.html |work=Winston-Salem Journal |date=17 July 2018 }}</ref>
{{As of|2018}}, 95% of e-cigarettes were made in China.<ref name="JenssenBoykan2019" /> Despite international growth of e-cigarettes during the 2010s, not all regions around the world have yet embraced it as much. In 2018, Indonesia became only one of the first in Asia or the Global South to recognise e-cigarettes as a genuine alternative to smoking tobacco.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chowdhery |first=Samrat |date=2024-11-22 |title=Will Indonesia, a Key Tobacco Control Outlier, Keep Vaping Legal? |url=https://filtermag.org/will-indonesia-a-key-tobacco-control-outlier-keep-vaping-legal/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Filter |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Clarify|reason=what does "recognize as a genuine alternative" mean?|date=July 2025}}
=== Established: 2020s === {{Globalize|date=July 2025|2=the US and UK|small=left|section}} In the United States between 2020 and 2022, the number of e-cigarettes sold had climbed to 22.7 million units. Elf Bar/EBDESIGN, Vuse, JUUL, NJOY and Breeze Smoke were recognized as the five most popular brands as of December 2022.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=June 22, 2023 |title=U.S. E-cigarette Sales Climbed during 2020-2022 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0622-ecigarettes-sales.html |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |language=en-us}}</ref> The surge was driven by non-tobacco flavors such as menthol (for prefilled cartridges) and fruit and candy (for disposables), according to the CDC's health economist Fatma Romeh Ali.<ref name=":4" />
In the UK, where most vaping uses refillable sets and e-liquid, there is now support from the National Health Service,<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 November 2021 |title=Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking |url=https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/using-e-cigarettes-to-stop-smoking/ |access-date=7 April 2022 |website=nhs.uk |language=en}}</ref> and other medical bodies now embrace the use of e-cigarettes as a viable way to quit smoking. This has contributed to record numbers of people vaping, with an estimated 3.6 million in 2021.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=(ASH) |first=Action on Smoking and Health |date=June 2021 |title=Use of e-cigarettes (vapes) among adults in Great Britain. 2021 |url=https://ash.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Use-of-e-cigarettes-vapes-among-adults-in-Great-Britain-2021.pdf |journal=Use of E-cigarettes (Vapes) Among Adults in Great Britain. 2021}}</ref>
== Society and culture == {{Redirect-distinguish|Vaper|Vapor}} thumb|right|The exterior of a vape shop in Lisbon, Portugal thumb|right|The inside of a vape shop Consumers have shown passionate support for e-cigarettes that other nicotine replacement products did not receive.<ref name=Britton2014>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311887/Ecigarettes_report.pdf|title=Electronic cigarettes – A report commissioned by Public Health England|publisher=Public Health England|date=15 May 2014|author1-first=John|author1-last=Britton|author2-first=Ilze|author2-last=Bogdanovica}}</ref> They have a mass appeal that could challenge combustible tobacco's market position.<ref name=Britton2014/>
By 2013, a subculture had emerged calling itself "the vaping community".<ref name="Couts2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/features/inside-the-world-of-vapers-the-subculture-that-might-save-smokers-lives/ |title=Inside the world of vapers, the subculture that might save smokers' lives|date=13 May 2013|last1=Couts|first1=Andrew|publisher=Digital Trends|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Park |first1=Andy|date=26 August 2013 |url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/06/18/feed-subculture-around-e-cigarettes|title=The Feed: The subculture around e-cigarettes|publisher=SBS World News|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Members often see e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to smoking,<ref name=Hajek2014>{{cite journal|last1=Hajek|first1=P|last2=Etter|first2=JF|last3=Benowitz|first3=N|last4=Eissenberg|first4=T|last5=McRobbie|first5=H|title=Electronic cigarettes: review of use, content, safety, effects on smokers and potential for harm and benefit|journal=Addiction|date=31 July 2014|volume=109|issue=11|pages=1801–1810 |doi=10.1111/add.12659|pmc=4487785|pmid=25078252}}</ref> and some view it as a hobby.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Barbeau|first1=Amanda M|last2=Burda|first2=Jennifer|last3=Siegel|first3=Michael |title=Perceived efficacy of e-cigarettes versus nicotine replacement therapy among successful e-cigarette users: a qualitative approach|journal=Addiction Science & Clinical Practice|volume=8|issue=1 |year=2013|page=5|issn=1940-0640|doi=10.1186/1940-0640-8-5|pmc=3599549|pmid=23497603 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The online forum E-Cig-Reviews.com was one of the first major communities.<ref name=Grothaus2014/> It and other online forums, such as UKVaper.org, were where the hobby of modding started.<ref name="Grothaus2014">{{cite news|title=Trading addictions: the inside story of the e-cig modding scene|author=Michael Grothaus|date=1 October 2014|work=Engadget|url=https://www.engadget.com/2014/10/01/inside-story-e-cig-modding-uk/|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> There are also groups on Facebook and Reddit.<ref name="Larson2014">{{cite news|author1=Eric Larson|title=Pimp My Vape: The Rise of E-Cigarette Hackers|url=http://mashable.com/2014/01/25/vaping-subculture/|publisher=Mashable|date=25 January 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Online forums based around modding have grown in the vaping community.<ref name="Osberg2014">{{cite news|title=CVape life: welcome to the weird world of e-cig evangelists|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/25/5445662/vape-life-welcome-to-the-weird-world-of-e-cig-evangelists|work=The Verge|author=Molly Osberg|date=25 February 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
Vapers embrace activities associated with e-cigarettes and sometimes evangelise for them.<ref name=Sanford2014>{{cite journal|author1=Sanford Z |author2=Goebel L|title=E-cigarettes: an up to date review and discussion of the controversy|journal=W V Med J|volume=110|issue=4|pages=10–5|year=2014|pmid=25322582}}</ref> E-cigarette companies have a substantial online presence, and there are many individual vapers who blog and tweet about e-cigarette related products.<ref name=McKee2014/> A 2014 ''Postgraduate Medical Journal'' editorial said vapers "also engage in grossly offensive online attacks on anyone who has the temerity to suggest that ENDS are anything other than an innovation that can save thousands of lives with no risks".<ref name=McKee2014>{{cite journal |last1=McKee |first1=Martin |title=Electronic cigarettes: peering through the smokescreen |journal=Postgraduate Medical Journal |date=November 2014 |volume=90 |issue=1069 |pages=607–609 |doi=10.1136/postgradmedj-2014-133029 |pmid=25294933 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
Contempt for Big Tobacco is part of vaping culture.<ref name="Gara2014">{{cite news|title=Are E-Cigarettes Losing Ground in the Vapor Market?|author=Tom Gara|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=14 April 2014 |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2014/04/14/are-e-cigarettes-losing-ground-in-the-vapor-market/|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref><ref name="Sottile2014">{{cite news|last1=Sottile|first1=Leah|title=The Right to Vape |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/the-right-to-vape/381145/|work=The Atlantic |date=8 October 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Tobacco and e-cigarette companies interact with consumers for their policy agenda.<ref name=Grana2014/> The companies use websites, social media, and marketing to get consumers involved in opposing bills that include e-cigarettes in smoke-free laws.<ref name=Grana2014/> This is similar to tobacco industry activity going back to the 1980s.<ref name=Grana2014/> These approaches were used in Europe to minimize the EU Tobacco Products Directive in October 2013.<ref name=Grana2014/> Grassroots lobbying also influenced the Tobacco Products Directive decision.<ref name="JacobsRobinson2014">{{cite news|last1=Jacobs|first1=Emma|last2=Robinson |first2=Duncan|title=E-cigarettes: no smoke without fear |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ed185b54-c5e0-11e3-a7d4-00144feabdc0|work=FT Magazine|date=17 April 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Tobacco companies have worked with organizations conceived to promote e-cigarette use, and these organizations have worked to hamper legislation intended at restricting e-cigarette use.<ref name="Drummond2014">{{cite journal |last1=Drummond |first1=MB |last2=Upson |first2=D |date=February 2014 |title=Electronic cigarettes. Potential harms and benefits. |journal=Annals of the American Thoracic Society |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=236–242 |doi=10.1513/annalsats.201311-391fr |pmc=5469426 |pmid=24575993}}</ref>
[[File:Smoke Screen (16582794210).jpg|thumb|right|E-cigarette user blowing a cloud of aerosol (vapor). The activity is known as cloud-chasing.<ref>{{cite news|author=Gavin Haynes|date=22 April 2015 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/shortcuts/2015/apr/22/cloud-chasing-competitive-sport-blowing-vape-clouds|title=Daft vapers: the competitive world of e-cigarette smoking|work=The Guardian}}</ref> |alt=E-cigarette user blowing a large cloud of aerosol (vapor). This activity is known as cloud-chasing.]]
Large gatherings of vapers, called vape meets, take place around the US.<ref name=Couts2013/> They focus on e-cigarette devices, accessories, and the lifestyle that accompanies them.<ref name=Couts2013/> Vapefest, which started in 2010, is an annual show hosted by different cities.<ref name=Larson2014/> People attending these meetings are usually enthusiasts that use specialized, community-made products not found in convenience stores or gas stations.<ref name=Couts2013/> These products are mostly available online or in dedicated "vape" storefronts where mainstream e-cigarettes brands from the tobacco industry and larger e-cig manufacturers are not as popular.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Esterl |first=Mike |date=2014-05-29 |title='Vaporizers' Are the New Draw in E-Cigarettes |url=http://online.wsj.com/articles/vaporizers-are-the-new-draw-in-e-cigarettes-1401378596 |access-date=2026-04-13 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Some vape shops have a vape bar where patrons can test out different e-liquids and socialize.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/generation-v-e-cigarettes-and-vape-bar-aims-to-convert/article_f79f2130-9466-11e3-b3d8-0017a43b2370.html|title=Generation V E-Cigarettes and Vape Bar aims to convert smokers to e-cigarettes|author=Staff|work=Daily Nebraskan|date=13 February 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> The Electronic Cigarette Convention in North America which started in 2013, is an annual show where companies and consumers meet up.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailybulletin.com/business/20140904/vaping-convention-coming-to-ontario-convention-center-friday|title=Vaping convention coming to Ontario Convention Center Friday|author=Neil Nisperos|work=Inland Valley Daily Bulletin|date=4 September 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
A subclass of vapers configure their atomizers to produce large amounts of vapor by using low-resistance heating coils.<ref name="Plass2014">{{cite news|url=http://vapenewsmagazine.com/february-2014/vapeview-the-cloud-chasers|title=The Cloud Chasers|author=Mary Plass|publisher=Vape News Magazine|date=29 January 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> This practice is called "cloud-chasing".<ref name="Mosbergenf2014">{{cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/05/cloud-chasing-vaping-competition_n_5652528.html|title=This Man Is An Athlete In The Sport Of 'Cloud Chasing'|author=Dominique Mosbergen|work=HuffPost|date=5 August 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> By using a coil with very low resistance, the batteries are stressed to a potentially unsafe extent.<ref name=Cooper2014/> This could present a risk of dangerous battery failures.<ref name="Cooper2014">{{cite news|title=What you need to know about vaporizers|url=https://www.engadget.com/2014/05/23/vaporizers-explainer/|work=Engadget|author=Sean Cooper|date=23 May 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> As vaping comes under increased scrutiny, some members of the vaping community have voiced their concerns about cloud-chasing, stating the practice gives vapers a bad reputation when doing it in public.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/veteran-e-cigarette-users-fret-cloud-chasers-give-them-bad-name-238978|title=Veteran E-Cigarette Users Fret 'Cloud Chasers' Give Them a Bad Name|author=Victoria Bekiempis|work=Newsweek|date=1 April 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> The Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year for 2014 was "vape".<ref name="Fallon2014">{{cite news|first1=Claire|last1=Fallon|title='Vape' Is Oxford Dictionaries' Word Of The Year|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/18/vape-word-of-year_n_6178102.html|work=HuffPost|date=19 November 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
=== Regulation === {{Main|Regulation of electronic cigarettes|List of vaping bans in the United States}}
thumb|right|An electronic cigarette store in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, displaying a sign banning those under the age of 18 from entering Regulation of e-cigarettes varies across countries and states, ranging from no regulation to banning them entirely.<ref name=Etter2011>{{cite journal|last1=Etter|first1=J. F.|last2=Bullen|first2=C.|last3=Flouris|first3=A. D.|last4=Laugesen|first4=M.|last5=Eissenberg|first5=T.|title=Electronic nicotine delivery systems: a research agenda|journal=Tobacco Control|date=May 2011|volume=20|issue=3|pages=243–8|doi=10.1136/tc.2010.042168|pmc=3215262|pmid=21415064}}</ref> For instance, e-cigarettes containing nicotine are illegal in Japan, forcing the market to use heated tobacco products for cigarette alternatives.<ref name=TabuchiGallus2018>{{cite journal|last1=Tabuchi|first1=Takahiro|last2=Gallus|first2=Silvano|last3=Shinozaki|first3=Tomohiro|last4=Nakaya|first4=Tomoki|last5=Kunugita|first5=Naoki|last6=Colwell|first6=Brian|title=Heat-not-burn tobacco product use in Japan: its prevalence, predictors and perceived symptoms from exposure to secondhand heat-not-burn tobacco aerosol|journal=Tobacco Control|volume=27|issue=e1|year=2018|pages=e25–e33|issn=0964-4563|doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2017-053947|pmc=6073918|pmid=29248896}}</ref> Others have introduced strict restrictions and some have licensed devices as medicines such as in the UK.<ref name=BeardShahab2016/> However, {{as of|February 2025|lc=y}}, there is no e-cigarette device that has been given a medical license that is commercially sold or available by prescription in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng209/documents/450|title=Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence Draft for consultation, November 2024|access-date=2026-04-13|website=www.nice.org.uk}}</ref> {{As of|2015}}, around two thirds of major nations have regulated e-cigarettes in some way.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ecigintelligence.com/worlds-law-makers-favour-e-cig-regulation-based-on-tobacco/|title=World's law-makers favour basing e-cig rules on tobacco|author=Barnaby Page|work=ECigIntelligence|publisher=Tamarind Media Limited|date=5 March 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
Because of the potential relationship with tobacco laws and medical drug policies, e-cigarette legislation is being debated in many countries.<ref name=KimKabir2016>{{cite journal|last1=Kim|first1=Ki-Hyun|last2=Kabir|first2=Ehsanul|last3=Jahan|first3=Shamin Ara|title=Review of electronic cigarettes as tobacco cigarette substitutes: their potential human health impact|journal=Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C|volume=34|issue=4|year=2016|pages=262–275|issn=1059-0501|doi=10.1080/10590501.2016.1236604|pmid=27635466|bibcode=2016JESHC..34..262K |s2cid=42660975}}</ref> The companies that make e-cigarettes have been pushing for laws that support their interests.<ref name=LempertGrana2016>{{cite journal|last1=Lempert|first1=Lauren K|last2=Grana|first2=Rachel|last3=Glantz|first3=Stanton A|title=The importance of product definitions in US e-cigarette laws and regulations|journal=Tobacco Control|volume=25|issue=e1|year=2016|pages=e44–e51|issn=0964-4563|doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-051913|pmc=4466213|pmid=25512432}}</ref> In 2016 the US Department of Transportation banned the use of e-cigarettes on commercial flights.<ref name=Airflight2016/> This regulation applies to all flights to and from the US.<ref name=Airflight2016>{{cite web|url=https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-explicitly-bans-use-electronic-cigarettes-commercial|title=U.S. Department of Transportation Explicitly Bans the Use of Electronic Cigarettes on Commercial Flights|publisher=United States Department of Transportation|date=2 March 2016}}</ref> In 2018, the Royal College of Physicians asked that a balance is found in regulations over e-cigarettes that ensure product safety while encouraging smokers to use them instead of tobacco, as well as keep an eye on any effects contrary to the control agencies for tobacco.<ref name=RCP2018>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/what-rcp-thinks-about-tobacco|title=What the RCP thinks about tobacco|work=RCP London |location=UK|publisher=Royal College of Physicians|pages=1–2|date=1 February 2018}}</ref>
The legal status of e-cigarettes is currently pending in many countries.<ref name=Grana2014/>{{Obsolete source|date=July 2025}} Many countries such as Brazil, Singapore, Uruguay,<ref name=BeardShahab2016>{{cite journal |last1=Beard |first1=Emma |last2=Shahab |first2=Lion |last3=Cummings |first3=Damian M. |last4=Michie |first4=Susan |last5=West |first5=Robert |title=New Pharmacological Agents to Aid Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Harm Reduction: What Has Been Investigated, and What Is in the Pipeline? |journal=CNS Drugs |date=October 2016 |volume=30 |issue=10 |pages=951–983 |doi=10.1007/s40263-016-0362-3 |pmid=27421270 }}</ref> and India have banned e-cigarettes.<ref name="Robertson2019">{{cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/18/20872967/india-e-cigarette-vaping-ban-epidemic-health-risks|title=India bans e-cigarette sales and says there's an 'epidemic' of kids vaping|last1=Robertson|first1=Adi|work=The Verge|date=18 September 2019|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> In June 2025, Pakistan banned e-cigarettes in the province of Punjab, though the decision was reversed the next month.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-14 |title=Vape Ban Reversed in Punjab, Pakistan – PTVA |url=https://ptva.pk/2025/07/14/hello-world-2/ |access-date=2025-09-10 |language=en-US}}</ref> Canada-wide in 2014, they were technically illegal to sell, as no nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are not regulated by Health Canada, but this is generally unenforced and they are commonly available for sale Canada-wide.<ref name="Sienuic2014">{{cite news|last1=Sienuic|first1=Kat|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/health-officials-set-rules-but-decisions-belong-to-each-person/article20809598/|title=Public health officers tackle hazy issue of e-cigarettes|work=The Globe and Mail|date=29 September 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> In 2016, Health Canada announced plans to regulate vaping products.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/vaping-health-canada-legislation-1.3862589|title=Vaping, e-cigarettes to be regulated by Health Canada|publisher=CBC News|date=22 November 2016}}</ref> In the US and the UK, the use and sale to adults of e-cigarettes are legal.<ref name=Kadowaki2015>{{cite journal|last1=Kadowaki|first1=Joy|last2=Vuolo|first2=Mike|last3=Kelly|first3=Brian C.|title=A review of the current geographic distribution of and debate surrounding electronic cigarette clean air regulations in the United States|journal=Health & Place|volume=31|year=2015|pages=75–82|issn=1353-8292|doi=10.1016/j.healthplace.2014.11.003|pmc=4305454|pmid=25463920}}</ref>{{rp|US}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25900542|title=E-cigarettes to be stubbed out for under-18s|date=26 January 2014|work=BBC News}}</ref>{{rp|UK}} The revised EU Tobacco Products Directive came into effect in May 2016, providing stricter regulations for e-cigarettes.<ref name=BI2016>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-european-court-tougher-rules-on-electronic-cigarettes-2016-5|title=European court: Tougher rules on electronic cigarettes|work=Business Insider|agency=Associated Press|date=4 May 2016|access-date=2 June 2019|archive-date=2 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602164019/https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-european-court-tougher-rules-on-electronic-cigarettes-2016-5}}</ref> It limits e-cigarette advertising in print, on television and radio, along with reducing the level of nicotine in liquids and reducing the flavors used.<ref name="Washtell2016">{{cite news|url=http://www.cityam.com/240410/eu-tobacco-products-directive-chokes-off-the-uks-e-cigarette-and-vaping-market-|title=EU Tobacco Products Directive chokes off the UK's e-cigarette and vaping market|author=Francesca Washtell|work=City A.M.|date=5 May 2016|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> It does not ban vaping in public places.<ref name=ZainolAbidinZainalAbidin2017>{{cite journal |last1=Zainol Abidin |first1=Najihah |last2=Zainal Abidin |first2=Emilia |last3=Zulkifli |first3=Aziemah |last4=Karuppiah |first4=Karmegam |last5=Syed Ismail |first5=Sharifah Norkhadijah |last6=Amer Nordin |first6=Amer Siddiq |title=Electronic cigarettes and indoor air quality: a review of studies using human volunteers |journal=Reviews on Environmental Health |date=26 September 2017 |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=235–244 |doi=10.1515/reveh-2016-0059 |pmid=28107173 |bibcode=2017RvEH...32..235Z }}</ref> It requires the purchaser for e-cigarettes to be at least 18 and does not permit buying them for anyone less than 18 years of age.{{sfn|McNeill|2018|p=39}} The updated Tobacco Products Directive has been disputed by tobacco lobbyists whose businesses could be impacted by these revisions.<ref name="Euronews2013">{{cite news|url=http://www.euronews.com/2013/07/10/new-tobacco-products-directive-adopted-regulations-on-e-cigarettes-announced|title=Anger over tobacco lobbyists as Europe nears new rules on e-cigarettes|author=Ashitha Nagesh|publisher=Euronews|date=10 July 2013|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
The US FDA regulates e-cigarettes, e-liquid and all related products.<ref name=FDA-August-2017>{{cite web|url=https://www.fda.gov/tobaccoproducts/labeling/rulesregulationsguidance/ucm394909.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150828021455/http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/RulesRegulationsGuidance/ucm394909.htm|archive-date=28 August 2015|title=FDA's New Regulations for E-Cigarettes, Cigars, and All Other Tobacco Products|publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration|date=17 August 2017}}</ref> It evaluates ingredients, product features and health risks, as well their appeal to minors and non-users.<ref name=FDATobaccoRule2017/> The FDA rule also bans access to minors.<ref name=FDATobaccoRule2017/> A photo ID is now required to buy e-cigarettes,<ref name=FDARetailer2017>{{cite web|url=https://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Retail/ucm205021.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224174727/http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Retail/ucm205021.htm|archive-date=24 December 2015|title=Summary of Federal Rules for Tobacco Retailers|publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration|date=23 August 2017}}</ref> and their sale in all-ages vending machines is not permitted in the US.<ref name=FDATobaccoRule2017>{{cite web|title=The Facts on the FDA's New Tobacco Rule|url=https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm506676.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617135319/http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm506676.htm|archive-date=17 June 2016|publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration|date=2 May 2017}}</ref>
In 2016, the US FDA used its authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act to deem e-cigarette devices and e-liquids to be tobacco products, which meant it intended to regulate the marketing, labelling, and manufacture of devices and liquids; vape shops that mix e-liquids or make or modify devices were considered manufacturing sites that needed to register with US FDA and comply with good manufacturing practice regulation.<ref name="FDA2016">{{cite journal|title=Deeming Tobacco Products To Be Subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as Amended by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act; Restrictions on the Sale and Distribution of Tobacco Products and Required Warning Statements for Tobacco Products |journal=Federal Register|volume=81 |issue=90|pages=28974–29106|date=10 May 2016|publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/05/10/2016-10685/deeming-tobacco-products-to-be-subject-to-the-federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-as-amended-by-the}}</ref> E-cigarette and tobacco companies recruited lobbyists in an effort to prevent the US FDA from evaluating e-cigarette products or banning existing products already on the market.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lipton |first=Eric |date=2016-09-02 |title=A Lobbyist Wrote the Bill. Will the Tobacco Industry Win Its E-Cigarette Fight? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/03/us/politics/e-cigarettes-vaping-cigars-fda-altria.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
FDA testimony reported that legislation enacted in 2022 extended regulatory authority to nicotine from any source, including synthetic nicotine.<ref name=":8" />
In February 2014, the European Parliament passed regulations requiring standardization and quality control for liquids and vaporizers, disclosure of ingredients in liquids, and child-proofing and tamper-proofing for liquid packaging.<ref name=EURegs2014>{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-134_en.htm|title=Questions & Answers: New rules for tobacco products|publisher=European Commission|date=26 February 2014}}</ref> In April 2014 the US FDA published proposed regulations for e-cigarettes.<ref name="FDA2014">{{cite journal|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/04/25/2014-09491/deeming-tobacco-products-to-be-subject-to-the-federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-as-amended-by-the|title=Deeming Tobacco Products To Be Subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as Amended by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act; Regulations on the Sale and Distribution of Tobacco Products and Required Warning Statements for Tobacco Products|journal=Federal Register|publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration|volume=79|issue=80|pages=23142–23207|date=25 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tavernise |first=Sabrina |date=2014-04-24 |title=F.D.A. Will Propose New Regulations for E-Cigarettes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/health/fda-will-propose-new-regulations-for-e-cigarettes.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In the US some states tax e-cigarettes as tobacco products, and some state and regional governments have broadened their indoor smoking bans to include e-cigarettes.<ref name=Crowley2015>{{cite journal|last1=Crowley|first1=Ryan A.|title=Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Executive Summary of a Policy Position Paper From the American College of Physicians |journal=Annals of Internal Medicine|volume=162|issue=8|year=2015|pages=583–4|issn=0003-4819|doi=10.7326/M14-2481|pmid=25894027|doi-access=free}}</ref> {{As of|April 2017}}, 12 US states and 615 localities had prohibited the use of e-cigarettes in venues in which traditional cigarette smoking was prohibited.<ref name=GlantzBareham2018/> In 2015, at least 48 states and 2 territories had banned e-cigarette sales to minors.<ref name=NCSL2017>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/alternative-nicotine-products-e-cigarettes.aspx|title=Alternative Nicotine Products – Electronic Cigarettes|publisher=National Conference of State Legislatures|date=3 March 2017|access-date=11 December 2015|archive-date=3 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103000434/http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/alternative-nicotine-products-e-cigarettes.aspx}}</ref>
In November 2020, the New Zealand government passed a vaping regulation that requires vape stores to register as specialist vape retailers before they can sell e-cigarettes, the wider range of flavoured e-liquids, and other related vaping products. Vaping products are required to be notified by the government before they can be sold to ensure that the products are following safety requirements and ingredients in liquids do not contain prohibited substances.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vaping Law FAQ - Vaping Regulations Explained {{!}} Shosha NZ|url=https://www.shosha.co.nz/vaping-law|access-date=25 June 2021|website=www.shosha.co.nz|archive-date=25 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625045235/https://www.shosha.co.nz/vaping-law}}</ref>
E-cigarettes containing nicotine have been listed as drug delivery devices in a number of countries, and the marketing of such products has been restricted or put on hold until safety and efficacy clinical trials are conclusive.<ref name=Cervellin2013>{{cite journal|last1=Cervellin|first1=Gianfranco|last2=Borghi|first2=Loris|last3=Mattiuzzi|first3=Camilla|last4=Meschi|first4=Tiziana|last5=Favaloro|first5=Emmanuel|last6=Lippi |first6=Giuseppe|title=E-Cigarettes and Cardiovascular Risk: Beyond Science and Mysticism|journal=Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis|volume=40|issue=1|year=2013|pages=060–065|issn=0094-6176|doi=10.1055/s-0033-1363468 |pmid=24343348|doi-access=free}}</ref> Since they do not contain tobacco, television advertising in the US is not restricted.<ref name=MaloneyCappella2015>{{cite journal|last1=Maloney|first1=Erin K.|last2=Cappella |first2=Joseph N.|title=Does Vaping in E-Cigarette Advertisements Affect Tobacco Smoking Urge, Intentions, and Perceptions in Daily, Intermittent, and Former Smokers?|journal=Health Communication|year=2015|volume=31 |issue=1|pages=1–10|issn=1041-0236|doi=10.1080/10410236.2014.993496|pmid=25758192|s2cid=31328176}}</ref> Some countries have regulated e-cigarettes as a medical product even though they have not approved them as a smoking cessation aid.<ref name="Bekki2014">{{cite journal|last1=Bekki|first1=Kanae|last2=Uchiyama|first2=Shigehisa|last3=Ohta|first3=Kazushi|last4=Inaba|first4=Yohei|last5=Nakagome|first5=Hideki|last6=Kunugita |first6=Naoki|title=Carbonyl Compounds Generated from Electronic Cigarettes|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=11|issue=11|year=2014|pages=11192–11200|issn=1660-4601 |doi=10.3390/ijerph111111192|pmc=4245608|pmid=25353061|doi-access=free |bibcode=2014IJERP..1111192B }}{{CC-notice|cc=by4|url=http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/11/11192/htm|author(s)=Kanae Bekki, Shigehisa Uchiyama, Kazushi Ohta, Yohei Inaba, Hideki Nakagome and Naoki Kunugita}}</ref> The emerging phenomenon of e-cigarettes has raised concerns in the health community, governments, and the general public and recommended that e-cigarettes should be regulated to protect consumers.<ref name=Saitta2014>{{cite journal|last1=Saitta|first1=D|author2=Ferro, GA|author3=Polosa, R|title=Achieving appropriate regulations for electronic cigarettes.|journal=Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Disease|date=March 2014|volume=5|issue=2|pages=50–61|doi=10.1177/2040622314521271|pmc=3926346|pmid=24587890}}</ref> It added, "heavy regulation by restricting access to e-cigarettes would just encourage continuing use of much unhealthier tobacco smoking."<ref name=Saitta2014/> Regulation of the e-cigarette should be considered on the basis of reported adverse health effects.<ref name=Bekki2014/>
===Criticism of vaping bans=== Vaping is much less harmful than smoking, and critics of vaping bans say that they incentivize people to return to smoking.<ref name="reason.com">{{Cite web |title=California Is Forcing Smokers To Buy More Dangerous Products |url=https://reason.com/2022/05/06/californias-is-forcing-smokers-to-buy-more-dangerous-products/|date=6 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vaping 95% less harmful than smoking |url=https://www.gmjournal.co.uk/vaping-95-less-harmful-than-smoking#:~:text=E%2Dcigarettes%20are%2095%25%20safer,help%20people%20give%20up%20smoking.|date=August 2015}}</ref> Such arguments have featured in debates over national and subnational vaping restrictions. In Australia, federal reforms that took effect on 1 July 2024 restricted legal sales of vapes to pharmacies and banned the commercial supply of disposable and non-therapeutic vapes; critics, including industry groups and criminology experts, warned that the restrictions could expand an illicit market for vaping products if demand persisted while legal access narrowed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=May |first=Natasha |date=2024-06-30 |title=The sale of vapes outside pharmacies has been banned across Australia – here's what you need to know |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/01/australia-bans-the-sale-of-vapes-outside-pharmacies-heres-what-you-need-to-know |access-date=2026-02-25 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Evans |first=political reporter Jake |date=2024-06-25 |title=Vapers will be pushed into black market by vape sales ban, crime experts warn |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-26/vapers-will-be-pushed-into-black-market-retail-sale-ban/104020804 |access-date=2026-02-25 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, government impact assessment work and contemporaneous media coverage around the planned 2025 ban on sales of single-use vapes included warnings that some vapers could revert or relapse to smoking tobacco. Subsequent reporting in ''The BMJ'' scrutinized widely circulated claims that a disposable-vape ban would result in approximately 200,000 additional smokers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adu |first=Aletha |date=2024-11-01 |title=Disposable vapes ban could push some users back to smoking, ministers told |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/nov/01/disposable-vapes-ban-could-push-users-back-smoking-defra |access-date=2026-02-26 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Manton-Roseblade |first=Elgan |date=2025-06-09 |title=Will banning disposable vapes result in 200 000 more smokers? |journal=BMJ |volume=389 |article-number=r1194 |doi=10.1136/bmj.r1194 |issn=1756-1833 |pmid=40490269 }}</ref> Additionally, San Francisco's chief economist, Ted Egan, when discussing the San Francisco vaping ban said that the city's ban on e-cigarette sales would increase smoking as vapers switch to combustible cigarettes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Francisco's Top Economist Confirms Vape Ban Means More Smoking |url=https://reason.com/2019/07/15/san-franciscos-top-economist-confirms-vape-ban-means-more-smoking/|date=15 July 2019}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=July 2025|reason=did SF vaping ban increase smoking?}} Critics of smoking bans stress the absurdity of criminalizing the sale of a safer alternative to tobacco while tobacco continues to be legal. In New Zealand, critics responded to a March 2024 ban on disposable e-cigarettes, stating that banning disposables could drive some people return to smoking and encourage a black market for unregulated vaping products.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Guzman |first=Chad de |title=New Zealand to Ban Disposable Vapes |url=https://time.com/6958616/new-zealand-disposable-vape-ban-smoking-youth/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250525163825/https://time.com/6958616/new-zealand-disposable-vape-ban-smoking-youth/ |archive-date=2025-05-25 |access-date=2026-02-25 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref> Prominent proponents of smoking bans are not in favor of criminalizing tobacco{{Clarify|reason=criminalising tobacco use or sales? sales will likely be criminalised gradually in UK|date=June 2025}} either, but rather allowing consumers to have the choice to choose whatever products they desire.<ref name="reason.com"/>
In 2022, after two years of review, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denied Juul's application to keep its tobacco and menthol flavored vaping products on the market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maloney |first=Jennifer |date=2022-06-22 |title=WSJ News Exclusive {{!}} FDA to Order Juul E-Cigarettes Off U.S. Market |url=https://www.wsj.com/business/fda-to-order-juul-e-cigarettes-off-u-s-market-11655904689 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=July 2025}} Critics of this denial noted that research published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research found that smokers who transitioned to Juul products in North America were significantly more likely to switch to vaping than those in the United Kingdom who only had access to lower-strength nicotine products.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Differences in Switching Away From Smoking Among Adult Smokers Using JUUL Products in Regions With Different Maximum Nicotine Concentrations: North America and the United Kingdom |url=https://academic.oup.com/ntr/article/23/11/1821/6276234?login=false|date=18 May 2021| doi=10.1093/ntr/ntab062 | last1=Goldenson | first1=Nicholas I. | last2=Ding | first2=Yu | last3=Prakash | first3=Shivaani | last4=Hatcher | first4=Cameron | last5=Augustson | first5=Erik M. | last6=Shiffman | first6=Saul | journal=Nicotine & Tobacco Research | volume=23 | issue=11 | pages=1821–1830 | pmid=34002223 | pmc=8653762 }}</ref> They also noted that vaping does not contain many of the components that make smoking dangerous such as the combustion process and certain chemicals that are present in cigarettes that are not present in vape products. In addition to these arguments, some critics have cited recent empirical research on policy impacts. In the United States, a 2024 quasi-experimental analysis of survey data published in ''JAMA Health Forum'' reported that state restrictions on flavored e-cigarette sales were associated with reduced daily vaping but increased daily cigarette smoking among adults aged 18-29.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Friedman |first1=Abigail S. |last2=Pesko |first2=Michael F. |last3=Whitacre |first3=Travis R. |date=2024-12-27 |title=Flavored E-Cigarette Sales Restrictions and Young Adult Tobacco Use |journal=JAMA Health Forum |language=en |volume=5 |issue=12 |pages=e244594 |doi=10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.4594 |pmid=39729302 |issn=2689-0186 |pmc=11681375 }}</ref> A 2025 study in the ''Journal of Health Economics'' similarly reported evidence consistent with substitution from flavored ENDS to cigarettes among certain age groups following the adoption of ENDS flavor restrictions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cotti |first1=Chad |last2=Courtemanche |first2=Charles |last3=Liang |first3=Yang |last4=Maclean |first4=Johanna Catherine |last5=Nesson |first5=Erik |last6=Sabia |first6=Joseph J. |date=2025-08-01 |title=The effect of e-cigarette flavor bans on tobacco use |journal=Journal of Health Economics |volume=102 |article-number=103013 |doi=10.1016/j.jhealeco.2025.103013 |pmid=40602199 |pmc=12865681 |issn=0167-6296}}</ref>
=== Product liability === The US Fire Administration says electronic cigarettes have been combusting and injuring people and surrounding areas.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|url=https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/electronic_cigarettes.pdf|title=Electronic Cigarette Fires and Explosions in the United States 2009-2016|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=https://www.icao.int/safety/dangerousgoods/dgpwg15/dgpwg.15.ip.004.2.en.app.pdf|title=E-Cigarette Fire Risks and Reported Incidents|access-date=2 April 2020|archive-date=4 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504155748/https://www.icao.int/safety/DangerousGoods/DGPWG15/DGPWG.15.IP.004.2.en.App.pdf}}</ref> The composition of a cigarette is the cause of this, as the cartridges that contain the liquid mixture are so close to the battery.<ref name=Bhatnagar2014/> A research report by the US Fire Administration supports this, stating that, "Unlike mobile phones, some e-cigarette lithium-ion batteries within e-cigarettes offer no protection to stop the coil overheating".<ref name=":02" />
Peer-reviewed medical literature has also documented characteristic injury patterns associated with e-cigarette explosions and battery failures. A 2023 retrospective burn center study reported that typical injury locations included the groin region, hands, and face, and that many cases required surgical treatment.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kaltenborn |first1=Alexander |last2=Dastagir |first2=Khaled |last3=Bingoel |first3=Alperen S. |last4=Vogt |first4=Peter M. |last5=Krezdorn |first5=Nicco |date=2023-09-01 |title=E-cigarette explosions: patient profiles, injury patterns, clinical management, and outcome |journal=JPRAS Open |volume=37 |pages=34–41 |doi=10.1016/j.jpra.2023.05.001 |issn=2352-5878|doi-access=free |pmid=37693690 |pmc=10491958 }}</ref>
Beyond individual case reports, population-level surveillance data have also been used to estimate the frequency of e-cigarette-related injuries. A 2024 analysis of US emergency department surveillance data estimated that there were 3,142 ED-treated ENDS/ENNDS product-related injuries from 2012 to 2022.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wiener |first1=R. Constance |last2=Lundstrom |first2=Eric W. |date=2024-05-24 |title=Injuries from electronic cigarettes, and cigarette/cigar-related paraphernalia, NEISS, 2012–2022 |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=19 |issue=5 |article-number=e0298177 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0298177 |doi-access=free|issn=1932-6203 |pmc=11125529 |pmid=38787818 |bibcode=2024PLoSO..1998177W }}</ref>
In response to reports of battery-related fires and explosions, US regulators have issued consumer safety guidance. The US Food and Drug Administration has also issued consumer guidance on reducing battery fire and explosion risks, noting that "vape fires and explosions are dangerous" and providing recommendations on charging, storage, and handling.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Products |first=Center for Tobacco |date=2024-09-04 |title=Tips to Help Avoid Vape Battery Fires or Explosions |url=https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/tips-help-avoid-vape-battery-fires-or-explosions |journal=FDA |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=E-cigarette Fire Safety |url=https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/e-cigarette_fire_safety_flyer.pdf |access-date=2026-02-18}}</ref>
Since the publication of these early reports, the structure of the e-cigarette market has evolved. Subsequent industry developments have included the involvement of major tobacco companies in the e-cigarette market through subsidiaries and acquisitions; for example, British American Tobacco's U.S. unit Reynolds American markets Vuse products, and in 2023 Altria acquired NJOY's e-vapor product portfolio.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Battling unregulated vapes, Big Tobacco tries a new strategy: joining in |url=https://kfgo.com/2025/08/21/battling-unregulated-vapes-big-tobacco-tries-a-new-strategy-joining-in/ |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=The Mighty 790 KFGO {{!}} KFGO |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Michelle |date=2023-03-06 |title=Altria invests $2.75B in rival startup NJOY after Juul exit |url=https://apnews.com/article/juul-altria-vaping-cigarette-njoy-b376515ea25e08ddc4372ace214c86a3 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
In parallel with regulatory scrutiny and industry consolidation, e-cigarette manufacturers have faced significant product liability and consumer protection litigation. In April 2023, Juul Labs agreed to pay $462 million to settle claims brought by six U.S. states and the District of Columbia alleging unlawful marketing of its products to minors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pierson |first=Brendan |date=2023-04-13 |title=Juul to Pay $462 Million to Six States, D.C. Over Youth Addiction Claims |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2023/04/13/716456.htm |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=Insurance Journal |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Juul Labs Agrees To Pay $462M Settlement To 6 States |url=https://www.post-journal.com/news/latest-news/2023/04/juul-labs-agrees-to-pay-462m-settlement-to-6-states/ |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=post-journal.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
Public safety concerns related to lithium ion batteries have also extended beyond consumer use to storage, disposal, and waste handling. Public safety authorities have warned about fire risks associated with lithium ion batteries in disposable e-cigarettes during storage, disposal and waste handling. Ahead of the United Kingdom's disposable vape ban taking effect in June 2025, the Local Government Association cautioned that lithium batteries inside disposable vapes could pose a fire and risk-to-life hazard if not stored correctly.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Banfield-Nwachi |first=Mabel |date=2025-05-31 |title=Vapers warned not to stockpile 'fire risk' disposables before UK ban |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/31/vapers-warned-not-to-stockpile-fire-risk-disposables-before-uk-ban |access-date=2026-02-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Disposable vapes ban: Councils issue stockpiling warning {{!}} Local Government Association |url=https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/disposable-vapes-ban-councils-issue-stockpiling-warning |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=www.local.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref>
In the UK, these concerns have been reflected in government and media reporting on waste-related fires. In 2025, reporting linked discarded single use vapes to fires in waste collection vehicles and recycling facilities, citing warning from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and estimates of more than 1,200 battery-related fires at waste sites in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=team |first=Environment blog |date=2025-05-01 |title=Single-use vapes: why it's time to ditch them for good – Environment |url=https://defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2025/05/01/single-use-vapes-why-its-time-to-ditch-them-for-good/ |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Banfield-Nwachi |first=Mabel |date=2025-05-31 |title=Vapers warned not to stockpile 'fire risk' disposables before UK ban |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/31/vapers-warned-not-to-stockpile-fire-risk-disposables-before-uk-ban |access-date=2026-02-25 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
=== Marketing === {{Main|Electronic cigarette and e-cigarette liquid marketing}}
They are marketed to people as being safer than traditional cigarettes.<ref name=CrottyVyas2015>{{cite journal|last1=Crotty LE|first1=Alexander|last2=Vyas|first2=A |last3=Schraufnagel|first3=DE |last4=Malhotra|first4=A|title=Electronic cigarettes: the new face of nicotine delivery and addiction|journal=Journal of Thoracic Disease|volume=7|issue=8|year=2015 |pages=E248–E251|doi=10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.07.37 |pmc=4561260|pmid=26380791}}</ref> They are also marketed to non-smokers.<ref name=CaiWang2017/> E-cigarette marketing is common.<ref name=HSF2014>{{cite web|title=Heart and Stroke Foundation: E-cigarettes in Canada |url=http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.9207931/k.D09C/Heart_and_Stroke_Foundation_Ecigarettes_in_Canada.htm|publisher=Heart and Stroke Foundation|date=September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006173717/http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.9207931/k.D09C/Heart_and_Stroke_Foundation_Ecigarettes_in_Canada.htm|archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> There are growing concerns that e-cigarette advertising campaigns unjustifiably focus on young adults, adolescents, and women.<ref name=SmithBrar2016>{{cite journal|last1=Smith|first1=L|last2=Brar|first2=K|last3=Srinivasan|first3=K|last4=Enja|first4=M |last5=Lippmann|first5=S|title=E-cigarettes: How "safe" are they?|journal=J Fam Pract|date=June 2016 |volume=65|issue=6|pages=380–385|url=http://www.mdedge.com/jfponline/article/109243/addiction-medicine/e-cigarettes-how-safe-are-they|pmid=27474819}}</ref> Large tobacco companies have greatly increased their marketing efforts.<ref name=Drummond2014/> This marketing trend may expand the use of e-cigarettes and contribute to re-glamorizing smoking.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wiki.cancer.org.au/policy/Position_statement_-_Electronic_cigarettes#Key_health_concerns |title=Position Statement Electronic Cigarettes|publisher=Cancer Council Australia; National Heart Foundation of Australia|year=2014}}</ref> Some companies may use e-cigarette advertising to advocate smoking, deliberately, or inadvertently, is an area of concern.<ref name=RinkooKaur2017>{{cite journal|last1=Rinkoo|first1=ArvindVashishta |last2=Kaur|first2=Jagdish|title=Getting real with the upcoming challenge of electronic nicotine delivery systems: The way forward for the South-East Asia region|journal=Indian Journal of Public Health|volume=61|issue=5 |year=2017|pages=S7–S11|issn=0019-557X|doi=10.4103/ijph.IJPH_240_17|pmid=28928312|doi-access=free}}</ref> The e-cigarette companies have expanded using aggressive marketing messages like those used to promote cigarettes in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name=Grana2014/>
E-cigarette companies are using methods that were once used by the tobacco industry to persuade young people to start using cigarettes.<ref name=McCauslandMaycock2017/> E-cigarettes are promoted to a certain extent to forge a vaping culture that entices non-smokers.<ref name=McCauslandMaycock2017/> Themes in e-cigarette marketing, including sexual content and customer satisfaction, are parallel to themes and techniques that are appealing to young people and young adults in traditional cigarette advertising and promotion.<ref name=SGUSReport2016/> A 2017 review found "The tobacco industry sees a future where ENDS accompany and perpetuate, rather than supplant, tobacco use, especially targeting the youth."<ref name=RinkooKaur2017/> E-cigarettes and nicotine are regularly promoted as safe and even healthy in the media and on brand websites, which is an area of concern.<ref name=England2015/>
While advertising of tobacco products is banned in most countries, television and radio e-cigarette advertising in several countries may be indirectly encouraging traditional cigarette use.<ref name=Grana2014/>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is old|date=July 2025}} E-cigarette advertisements are also in magazines, newspapers, online, and in retail stores.{{sfn|Chapman|2015|p=7}} Between 2010 and 2014, e-cigarettes were second only to cigarettes as the top advertised product in magazines.<ref name=CollinsGlasser2018>{{cite journal|last1=Collins|first1=Lauren|last2=Glasser|first2=Allison M|last3=Abudayyeh|first3=Haneen |last4=Pearson|first4=Jennifer L|last5=Villanti |first5=Andrea C|title=E-Cigarette Marketing and Communication: How E-Cigarette Companies Market E-Cigarettes and the Public Engages with E-cigarette Information|journal=Nicotine & Tobacco Research|volume=21|issue=1|pages=14–24|year=2018|issn=1462-2203 |doi=10.1093/ntr/ntx284|pmc=6610165|pmid=29315420}}</ref> As cigarette companies have acquired the largest e-cigarette brands, they currently benefit from a dual market of smokers and e-cigarette users while simultaneously presenting themselves as agents of harm reduction.<ref name=FranckFilion2016/> This raises concerns about the appropriateness of endorsing a product that directly profits the tobacco industry.<ref name=FranckFilion2016/> There is no evidence that the cigarette brands are selling e-cigarettes as part of a plan to phase out traditional cigarettes, despite some stating to want to cooperate in "harm reduction".<ref name=Grana2014/> E-cigarette advertising for using e-cigarettes as a quitting tool have been seen in the US, UK, and China, which have not been supported by regulatory bodies.<ref name="Kalkhoran2016">{{cite journal |last1=Kalkhoran|first1=Sara|last2=Glantz|first2=Stanton A|year=2016|title=E-cigarettes and smoking cessation in real-world and clinical settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=The Lancet Respiratory Medicine|volume=4|issue=2|pages=116–128 |doi=10.1016/S2213-2600(15)00521-4|issn=2213-2600|pmc=4752870|pmid=26776875}}</ref>
In the US, six large e-cigarette businesses spent $59.3 million on promoting e-cigarettes in 2013.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wasowicz|first1=Adam|last2=Feleszko|first2=Wojciech|last3=Goniewicz|first3=Maciej L|title=E-Cigarette use among children and young people: the need for regulation|journal=Expert Rev Respir Med |volume=9|issue=5|pages=1–3|year=2015|doi=10.1586/17476348.2015.1077120|pmid=26290119|s2cid=207206915|doi-access=free}}</ref> In the US and Canada, over $2 million is spent yearly on promoting e-cigarettes online.<ref name=McCauslandMaycock2017>{{cite journal|last1=McCausland|first1=Kahlia|last2=Maycock|first2=Bruce |last3=Jancey|first3=Jonine|title=The messages presented in online electronic cigarette promotions and discussions: a scoping review protocol|journal=BMJ Open|volume=7|issue=11|year=2017|article-number=e018633 |issn=2044-6055|doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018633|doi-access=free|pmc=5695349|pmid=29122804}}</ref> E-cigarette websites often made unscientific health statements in 2012.<ref name=GranaLing2014>{{cite journal |last1=Grana|first1=Rachel A.|last2=Ling|first2=Pamela M.|title='Smoking revolution': a content analysis of electronic cigarette retail websites|journal=Am J Prev Med|volume=46 |issue=4|pages=395–403 |year=2014|doi=10.1016/j.amepre.2013.12.010|pmc=3989286|pmid=24650842}}</ref> The ease to get past the age verification system at e-cigarette company websites allows underage individuals to access and be exposed to marketing.<ref name=GranaLing2014/> Around half of e-cigarette company websites have a minimum age notice that prohibited underage individuals from entering.<ref name=CaiWang2017/>
Celebrity endorsements are used to encourage e-cigarette use.{{sfn|Bauld|2014|p=11}} Opponents of the tobacco industry state that the Blu advertisement, in a context of longstanding prohibition of tobacco advertising on television, seems to have resorted to advertising tactics that got former generations of people in the US addicted to traditional cigarettes.<ref name=Nasaw2012/>
thumb|upright=1.35|right|From 2011 to 2014, e-cigarette use among young people in the US was rising as e-cigarette advertising increased.<ref name=CDCAds2016>{{cite web|title=E-cigarette Ads and Youth |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|date=5 January 2016 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/ecigarette-ads/}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>|alt=Displaying a diagram of e-cigarette use among youth is rising as e-cigarette advertising increases. Since at least 2007, e-cigarettes have been heavily promoted across media outlets globally.<ref name=ChatterjeeAlzghoul2016/> They are vigorously advertised, mostly through the Internet, as a safe substitute to traditional cigarettes, among other things.<ref name=Rom2014/> E-cigarette companies promote their e-cigarette products on Facebook, Instagram,{{sfn|Chapman|2015|p=7}} YouTube, and Twitter.<ref name=Payne2016>{{cite journal|last1=Payne|first1=JD|last2=Orellana-Barrios|first2=M|last3=Medrano-Juarez|first3=R|last4=Buscemi|first4=D|last5=Nugent|first5=K|title=Electronic cigarettes in the media.|journal=Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent).|volume=29|issue=3|pages=280–3|year=2016|doi=10.1080/08998280.2016.11929436|pmc=4900769|pmid=27365871}}</ref> They are promoted on YouTube by movies with sexual material and music icons, who encourage minors to "take their freedom back."<ref name=RinkooKaur2017/> They have partnered with a number of sports and music icons to promote their products.<ref name=Bryan2014>{{cite book|last1=Bryan|first1=Christiansen|title=Handbook of Research on Global Business Opportunities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PyKXBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA411|date=31 October 2014|publisher=IGI Global|isbn=978-1-4666-6552-1|pages=411–}}</ref> Tobacco companies intensely market e-cigarettes to young people,<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004030055/https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/e-cigarettes-and-lung-health.html|url=https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/e-cigarettes-and-lung-health.html|archive-date=4 October 2015|publisher=American Lung Association|year=2015|title=E-cigarettes and Lung Health}}</ref> with industry strategies including cartoon characters and candy flavors.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204074154/http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/myths-and-facts-about-e-cigs.html|url=http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/myths-and-facts-about-e-cigs.html|archive-date=4 December 2015|publisher=American Lung Association|year=2015|title=Myths and Facts About E-cigarettes}}</ref> Fruit flavored e-liquid is the most commonly marketed e-liquid flavor on social media.<ref name=Liang2015>{{cite conference|last1=Liang|first1=Yunji|last2=Zheng|first2=Xiaolong|last3=Dajun Zheng|first3=Daniel|last4=Zhou|first4=Xingshe|editor1-first=Xiaolong|editor1-last=Zheng|editor2-first=Daniel|editor2-last=Dajun Zeng|editor3-first=Hsinchun|editor3-last=Chen|editor4-first=Scott J.|editor4-last=Leischow|title=Impact of Flavor on Electronic Cigarette Marketing in Social Media|conference=Smart Health: International Conference, ICSH 2015|location=Phoenix, AZ, USA|date=22 January 2016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cM5yCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA279|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-319-29175-8|page=283}}</ref>
E-cigarette companies commonly promote that their products contain only water, nicotine, glycerin, propylene glycol, and flavoring but this assertion is misleading as researchers have found differing amounts of heavy metals in the vapor, including chromium, nickel, tin, silver, cadmium, mercury, and aluminum.<ref name=Hildick-SmithPesko2015>{{cite journal|last1=Hildick-Smith|first1=Gordon J.|last2=Pesko|first2=Michael F.|last3=Shearer|first3=Lee|last4=Hughes|first4=Jenna M.|last5=Chang |first5=Jane|last6=Loughlin|first6=Gerald M.|last7=Ipp|first7=Lisa S.|title=A Practitioner's Guide to Electronic Cigarettes in the Adolescent Population|journal=Journal of Adolescent Health|volume=57|issue=6|pages=574–579 |year=2015|issn=1054-139X|doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.07.020|pmid=26422289|doi-access=free}}</ref> The widespread assertion that e-cigarettes emit "only water vapor" is not true because the evidence demonstrates e-cigarette vapor contains possibly harmful chemicals such as nicotine, carbonyls, metals, and volatile organic compounds, in addition to particulate matter.<ref name="FernándezBallbè2015">{{cite journal|last1=Fernández |first1=Esteve|last2=Ballbè|first2=Montse|last3=Sureda|first3=Xisca|last4=Fu|first4=Marcela|last5=Saltó |first5=Esteve|last6=Martínez-Sánchez|first6=Jose M. |title=Particulate Matter from Electronic Cigarettes and Conventional Cigarettes: a Systematic Review and Observational Study|journal=Current Environmental Health Reports|volume=2|issue=4|pages=423–429|year=2015|issn=2196-5412|doi=10.1007/s40572-015-0072-x |pmid=26452675|doi-access=free|bibcode=2015CEHR....2..423F }}</ref>
Many e-cigarette companies market their products as a smoking cessation aid without evidence of effectiveness.<ref name=SchivoAvdalovic2014>{{cite journal|last1=Schivo|first1=Michael|last2=Avdalovic|first2=Mark V.|last3=Murin|first3=Susan|title=Non-Cigarette Tobacco and the Lung |journal=Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology|volume=46|issue=1|date=February 2014|pages=34–53|issn=1080-0549|doi=10.1007/s12016-013-8372-0|pmid=23673789|s2cid=23626872}}</ref> E-cigarette marketing has been found to make unsubstantiated health statements (e.g., that they help one quit smoking) including statements about improving psychiatric symptoms, which may be particularly appealing to smokers with mental illness.<ref name=HefnerValentine2017/> E-cigarette marketing advocate weight control and emphasize use of nicotine with many flavors.<ref name=VerhaegenVanGaal2017/> These marketing angles could particularly entice overweight people, young people, and vulnerable groups.<ref name=VerhaegenVanGaal2017>{{cite journal|last1=Verhaegen|first1=A.|last2=Van Gaal|first2=L.|title=Do E-cigarettes induce weight changes and increase cardiometabolic risk? A signal for the future|journal=Obesity Reviews|volume=18|issue=10|pages=1136–1146|year=2017|issn=1467-7881|doi=10.1111/obr.12568|pmid=28660671|s2cid=29298086}}</ref> Some e-cigarette companies state that their products are green without supporting evidence which may be purely to increase their sales.<ref name=KimKabir2016/>
=== Economics === The number of e-cigarettes sold increased every year from 2003 to 2014.<ref name=Bhatnagar2014/> {{As of|2014}}, there were at least 466 e-cigarette brands.<ref name=Born2015>{{cite journal|last1=Born|first1=H.|last2=Persky|first2=M.|last3=Kraus|first3=D. H.|last4=Peng|first4=R.|last5=Amin|first5=M. R.|last6=Branski|first6=R. C.|title=Electronic Cigarettes: A Primer for Clinicians|journal=Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery|year=2015|volume=153|issue=1|pages=5–14|issn=0194-5998|doi=10.1177/0194599815585752|pmid=26002957|s2cid=10199442}}</ref> Worldwide e-cigarette sales in 2014 were around US$7 billion.<ref name=Evans2015>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/e-cigarette-makers-face-rise-of-counterfeits-1424441348|title=E-Cigarette Makers Face Rise of Counterfeits|author=Peter Evans|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=20 February 2015}}</ref> Worldwide e-cigarette sales in 2019 were about $19.3 billion.<ref name="Janes2019">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44295336|title=Vaping: How popular are e-cigarettes? - Spending on e-cigarettes is growing|last1=Jones|first1=Lora|work=BBC News|date=15 September 2019|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> In 2021, the global e-cigarette market was estimated at about US$20.4 billion.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lyu |first1=Joanne Chen |last2=Huang |first2=Peiyi |last3=Jiang |first3=Nan |last4=Ling |first4=Pamela M. |date=2022-07-28 |title=A Systematic Review of E-Cigarette Marketing Communication: Messages, Communication Channels, and Strategies |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=19 |issue=15 |page=9263 |doi=10.3390/ijerph19159263 |doi-access=free|pmid=35954623 |issn=1660-4601 |pmc=9367763 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1=Hampsher-Monk |first1=Samuel C. |title=E-cigarettes: The Technology, the Market, and the Practice of Vaping |date=2024 |work=Tobacco Regulation, Economics, and Public Health, Volume I: Clearing the Air on E-Cigarettes and Harm Reduction |pages=147–253 |editor-last=Hampsher-Monk |editor-first=Samuel C. |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-41312-4_3 |isbn=978-3-031-41312-4 |last2=Prieger |first2=James E. |last3=Patwardhan |first3=Sudhanshu |editor2-last=Prieger |editor2-first=James E. |editor3-last=Patwardhan |editor3-first=Sudhanshu}}</ref> In the United States, Reuters reported (citing Circana retail tracking reviewed by Reuters) that illegal sales of flavored disposable vapes reached about $2.4 billion in 2024 and accounted for roughly 35% of all e-cigarette sales in mainstream retail outlets tracked by Circana; Circana estimated the total tracked vape market at $6.8 billion, excluding online and specialty store sales.<ref name=":0" /> E-cigarette sales could exceed traditional cigarette sales by 2023.<ref name=ChunMoazed2017>{{cite journal|last1=Chun|first1=Lauren F|last2=Moazed|first2=Farzad|last3=Calfee|first3=Carolyn S|author-link3=Carolyn Calfee|last4=Matthay|first4=Michael A.|last5=Gotts|first5=Jeffrey Earl|title=Pulmonary Toxicity of E-cigarettes|journal=American Journal of Physiology. Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology|volume=313|issue=2|year=2017|pages=L193–L206|issn=1040-0605|doi=10.1152/ajplung.00071.2017|pmc=5582932|pmid=28522559}}</ref>
==== Sales channels and measurement ==== Approximately 30–50% of total e-cigarettes sales are handled on the internet.<ref name="Rom2014">{{cite journal|last1=Rom|first1=Oren|last2=Pecorelli|first2=Alessandra|last3=Valacchi|first3=Giuseppe|last4=Reznick|first4=Abraham Z.|year=2014|title=Are E-cigarettes a safe and good alternative to cigarette smoking?|journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences|volume=1340|issue=1|pages=65–74|bibcode=2015NYASA1340...65R|doi=10.1111/nyas.12609 |issn=0077-8923|pmid=25557889|s2cid=26187171}}</ref> In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission reported that, for major manufacturers it surveyed, direct sales accounted for 8.13% of reported e-cigarette sales in 2019 and 7.09% in 2020, with most reported sales occurring indirectly through retail channels.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://search.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/E-Cigarette%20Report%202019-20%20final.pdf|title=Federal Trade Commission E-Cigarette Report for 2019-2020|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
Retail-sales datasets used in market reporting may also exclude online and specialty vape-shop channels.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Illegal U.S. vape sales worth at least $2.4 billion in 2024, data shows |website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/illegal-us-vape-sales-worth-least-24-billion-2024-data-shows-2025-02-24/ |access-date=2026-02-12}}</ref>
'''Industry structure and supply chains'''
Established tobacco companies have a significant share of the e-cigarette market.<ref name=Schraufnagel2015>{{cite journal|last1=Schraufnagel|first1=Dean E.|title=Electronic Cigarettes: Vulnerability of Youth|journal=Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology|volume=28|issue=1|year=2015|pages=2–6|issn=2151-321X|doi=10.1089/ped.2015.0490|pmc=4359356|pmid=25830075}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/23/health/e-cigarettes-smoking-addiction-nicotine/index.html|title=E-cigarettes: Helping smokers quit, or fueling a new addiction?|author=Meera Senthilingam|publisher=CNN|date=23 March 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
<!-- China --> {{As of|2018}}, 95% of e-cigarette devices were made in China,<ref name=JenssenBoykan2019>{{cite journal|last1=Jenssen|first1=Brian P.|last2=Boykan|first2=Rachel|title=Electronic Cigarettes and Youth in the United States: A Call to Action (at the Local, National and Global Levels)|journal=Children|volume=6|issue=2|year=2019|page=30|issn=2227-9067|doi=10.3390/children6020030|pmc=6406299|pmid=30791645|doi-access=free}}{{CC-notice|cc=by4 |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/6/2/30/htm|author(s)=Brian P. Jenssen and Rachel Boykan}}</ref> mainly in Shenzhen.<ref name="Jourdan2014">{{cite news|last1=Jourdan|first1=Adam|title="Vaping" a slow burner in China, world's maker of e-cigarettes|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-smoking-idUSBREA0E1JX20140115|work=Reuters|date=25 May 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref><ref name="Liao2015">{{cite news|last1=Liao|first1=Allen|title=Chinese E-cigarette Makers Shift to Domestic Markets|url=http://www.tobaccoasia.com/features/chinese-e-cigarette-makers-shift-to-domestic-markets/|work=Tobacco Asia|date=1 September 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> More recent policy reporting and official analysis continue to link a substantial share of product supply to imported devices, including from China, as well as to cross-border e-commerce channels for some products.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Juul wins order banning US imports of Altria vaping devices |website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/juul-wins-order-banning-us-imports-altria-vaping-devices-2025-01-29/ |access-date=2026-02-11}}</ref> Chinese companies' market share of e-liquid is low.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barboza |first=David |date=2014-12-13 |title=China's E-Cigarette Boom Lacks Oversight for Safety |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/14/business/international/chinas-e-cigarette-boom-lacks-oversight-for-safety-.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 2014, online and offline sales started to increase.<ref name=Yao2015/> Since combustible cigarettes are relatively inexpensive in China a lower price may not be a large factor in marketing vaping products over there.<ref name="Yao2015">{{cite news|last1=Yao Min-G|title=The e-cigarette is taking off in nation that invented it|url=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/feature/news-feature/The-ecigarette-is-taking-off-in-nation-that-invented-it/shdaily.shtml|work=Shanghai Daily|date=30 May 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
Large tobacco retailers are leading the cigalike market.<ref name=DasProchaska2017>{{cite journal|last1=Das|first1=Smita|last2=Prochaska|first2=Judith J.|title=Innovative approaches to support smoking cessation for individuals with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders|journal=Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine|volume=11|issue=10|pages=841–850|year=2017|issn=1747-6348|doi=10.1080/17476348.2017.1361823|pmc=5790168|pmid=28756728}}</ref> "We saw the market's sudden recognition that the cigarette industry seems to be in serious trouble, disrupted by the rise of vaping," ''Mad Money'''s Jim Cramer stated April 2018.<ref name=Elizabeth2018/> "Over the course of three short days, the tobacco stocks were bent, they were spindled and they were mutilated by the realization that electronic cigarettes have become a serious threat to the old-school cigarette makers," he added.<ref name="Elizabeth2018">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/23/cramer-vaping-is-killing-the-cigarette-industry-and-it-may-get-worse.html|title=Cramer: Vaping is decimating the cigarette industry—and it could get even worse|last=Gurdus|first=Elizabeth |publisher=CNBC|date=23 April 2018|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> In 2019, a vaping industry organization released a report stating that a possible US ban on e-cigarettes flavors can potentially effect greater than 150,000 jobs around the US.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-vaping-idUSKBN1XW20K|title=Ban on flavored vapes could lead to loss of 150,000 jobs, $8.4 billion sales hit: report|work=Reuters|date=22 November 2019}}</ref>
==== United States market (brands, formats, and recent changes) ==== The leading seller in the e-cigarette market in the US is the Juul e-cigarette,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Richtel |first1=Matt |last2=Kaplan |first2=Sheila |date=2018-08-27 |title=Did Juul Lure Teenagers and Get 'Customers for Life'? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/27/science/juul-vaping-teen-marketing.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> which was introduced in June 2015.<ref name="Yakowicz2015" /> {{As of|2018|08}}, Juul accounts for over 72% of the US e-cigarette market monitored by Nielsen, and its closest competitor—RJ Reynolds' Vuse—makes up less than 10% of the market.<ref name="Craver0818" /> Juul rose to popularity quickly, growing by 700% in 2016 alone.<ref name="Suiters2018">{{cite news|url=http://wjla.com/features/7-on-your-side/are-your-kids-juuling-at-school-7-on-your-side-investigates|title=Are your kids juuling at school? 7 On Your Side investigates |author=Kimberly Suiters|publisher=WJLA-TV|date=31 January 2018|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622140236/http://wjla.com/features/7-on-your-side/are-your-kids-juuling-at-school-7-on-your-side-investigates}}</ref> On 17 July 2018 Reynolds announced it will debut in August 2018 a pod mod type device similar Juul.<ref name="Craver0818">{{cite news|url=https://www.journalnow.com/business/juul-expands-e-cig-market-share-gap-with-reynolds-vuse/article_0bb4d442-fc0f-5c00-8b05-29bbf95dc985.html|title=Juul expands e-cig market share gap with Reynolds' Vuse|last1=Craver|first1=Richard|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=25 August 2018|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> The popularity of the Juul pod system has led to a flood of other pod devices hitting the market.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://truthinitiative.org/news/juul-copycats-are-flooding-market|title=JUUL copycats are flooding the e-cigarette market|publisher=Truth Initiative|date=8 August 2018}}</ref>
Since 2018 the US e-cigarette market has shifted. During January 2020-December 2022, disposable cigarette unit share increased from 24.7% to 51.8%, while prefilled cartridge share decreased from 75.2% to 48.0%.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=E-cigarette Unit Sales by Product and Flavor Type, and Top-Selling Brands, United States, 2020–2022 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7225-H.pdf |access-date=2026-02-13}}</ref> For the four-week period ending December 25,2022, the top-selling brands were Vuse, JUUL, Elf Bar, NJOY, and Breeze Smoke.<ref>{{Cite web |title=E-cigarette Unit Sales by Product and Flavor Type, and Top-Selling Brands, United States, 2020–2022 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7225-H.pdf |access-date=2026-02-16}}</ref>
In the 52 weeks ended June 15, 2024, Vuse Alto products represented approximately 40% of U.S. e-cigarette sales in stores tracked by NielsenIQ, according to an analyst cited by The Wall Street Journal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Authorizes Tobacco-Flavored Vuse E-Cigarettes |url=https://d3dkdvqff0zqx.cloudfront.net/groups/njgca/attachments/U.S.%20Authorizes%20Tobacco-Flavored%20Vuse%20E-Cigarettes%20-%20WSJ.pdf |access-date=2026-02-17}}</ref> In the US the Federal Trade Commission reported that e-cigarette product sales for major reporting manufacturers rose to $2.703 billion in 2019 and then declined to $2.224 billion in 2020, with the FTC noting this may reflect a shift to other market participants.<ref name=":1" /> In US retail scanner data, the number of e-cigarette brands increased from 184 in January 2020 to 269 in December 2022.<ref name=":3" /> In 2024, circana tracked approximately 11,000 unauthorized flavored disposable vape products in U.S. mainstream retail outlets, according to data reviewed by Reuters.<ref name=":0" /> In 2024, illegal sales of flavored disposable vapes reached about $2.4 billion and accounted for roughly 35% of all e-cigarette sales in mainstream retail outlets. According to . data reviewed by Reuters; Circana estimated the total tracked vape market at $6.8 billion, excluding online and specialty store sales.<ref name=":0" /> A 2025 lawsuit by New York's attorney general cited testimony that one distributor sold more than $132 million worth of Elf Bar e-cigarettes in the prior year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-20 |title=New York sues vape distributors over Elf Bar and other fruit and candy e-cigarettes |url=https://apnews.com/article/vaping-new-york-letitia-james-elf-bar-lawsuit-7048079c0a6d5014499e4c922e0b3b9a |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Altria Group, one of the largest tobacco companies in the United States and the owner of Philip Morris USA, has significant investments in the domestic e-cigarette market. In January 2025, Altria said it was reassessing its 2028 "smoke-free" volume and revenue goals, citing competition from disposable vapes, and estimated that illicit disposable products represent 60% or more of the U.S. e-cigarette category despite lacking required authorizations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Altria 'smoke-free' targets under threat from illicit vapes |website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/altria-smoke-free-targets-under-threat-illicit-vapes-2025-01-30/ |access-date=2026-02-16}}</ref> US authorities reported intensified enforcement actions against unauthorized e-cigarettes in 2025, including seizures of 4.7 million units valued at $86.5 million in a Chicago-based operation; US agencies also reported blocking more than 6 million unauthorized e-cigarettes worth over $120 million that year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HHS, CBP Seize $86.5 Million Worth of Illegal E-Cigarettes in Largest-Ever Operation |url=https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-fda-cbp-seize-record-4-7-million-illegal-e-cigarettes-chicago-operation.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260101154808/https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-fda-cbp-seize-record-4-7-million-illegal-e-cigarettes-chicago-operation.html |archive-date=2026-01-01 |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=HHS.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=US FDA, border agency seize $86.5 million worth of unauthorized e-cigarettes |website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-border-agency-seize-865-million-worth-unauthorized-e-cigarettes-2025-09-10/ |access-date=2026-02-16}}</ref>
==== Canada, United Kingdom, and Europe ====<!-- Canada --> In Canada, e-cigarettes had an estimated value of 140 million CAD in 2015.<ref name="Yuen2015">{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2015/07/04/wild-west-for-e-cigarette-use-in-canada-critic-says|title='Wild West' for e-cigarette use in Canada, critic says|last1=Yuen|first1=Jenny|newspaper=Toronto Sun|date=4 July 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> There are numerous e-cigarette retail shops in Canada.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/04/06/e-cig-retailers-stand-up-to-health-canada|title=E-cig retailers stand up to Health Canada|author=Aedan Helmer|work=Ottawa Sun|date=6 April 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> A 2014 audit of retailers in four Canadian cities found that 94% of grocery stores, convenience stores, and tobacconist shops which sold e-cigarettes sold nicotine-free varieties only, while all vape shops stocked at least one nicotine-containing product.<ref name=Hammond2015>{{cite journal |last1=Hammond|first1=D|last2=White|first2=CM|last3=Czoli|first3=CD|last4=Martin|first4=CL|last5=Magennis|first5=P|last6=Shiplo|first6=S|title=Retail availability and marketing of electronic cigarettes in Canada |journal=Canadian Journal of Public Health|date=9 October 2015|volume=106|issue=6|pages=e408–12|url=http://davidhammond.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2015-Ecig-Retail-in-Canada-CJPH-Hammond.pdf|doi=10.17269/cjph.106.5105 |pmid=26680433|pmc=6972063}}</ref>
<!-- UK --> By 2015, the e-cigarette market had only reached a twentieth of the size of the tobacco market in the UK.<ref name=HiscockBranston2017>{{cite journal|last1=Hiscock|first1=Rosemary|last2=Branston|first2=J Robert|last3=McNeill |first3=Ann|last4=Hitchman|first4=Sara C|last5=Partos|first5=Timea R|last6=Gilmore|first6=Anna B|title=Tobacco industry strategies undermine government tax policy: evidence from commercial data|journal=Tobacco Control |volume=27|issue=5|year=2017|pages=tobaccocontrol–2017–053891|issn=0964-4563|doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2017-053891|pmc=6109235|pmid=28993519}}{{CC-notice|cc=by4|url=http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2017/10/09/tobaccocontrol-2017-053891.long#ref-73|author(s)=Rosemary Hiscock, J Robert Branston, Ann McNeill, Sara C Hitchman, Timea R Partos, Anna B Gilmore}}</ref> In the UK in 2015 the "most prominent brands of cigalikes" were owned by tobacco companies, however, with the exception of one model, all the tank types came from "non-tobacco industry companies".{{sfn|McNeill|2015|p=15}} Yet some tobacco industry products, while using prefilled cartridges, resemble tank models.{{sfn|McNeill|2015|p=15}}
By 2023, 1 survey by the Local Data Company counted 3,573 specialist vape shops in the UK, and NIQ data cited in press reporting put value sales of vaping products in Britain at £897.4 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-02 |title=Number of independent vape shops across UK jumps again |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/number-of-independent-vape-shops-across-uk-jumps-again-b2471961.html |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Sky News similarly reported that more than 230 independent vape shops opened in 2023, citing the same Local Data Company survey.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Binns |first=Daniel |title=Sharp increase in new vape shops in the UK |url=https://news.sky.com/story/sharp-increase-in-new-vape-shops-in-the-uk-despite-overall-decline-in-specialist-outlets-13040726 |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref>
<!-- France --> France's e-cigarette market was estimated by Groupe Xerfi to be €130 million in 2015.<ref name=Lastennet2016/> Additionally, France's e-liquid market was estimated at €265 million.<ref name="Lastennet2016">{{cite news|url=http://www.letelegramme.fr/bretagne/cigarettes-electroniques-le-marche-de-la-vape-en-deux-cartes-07-02-2016-10949003.php|title=Cigarettes électroniques. Le marché de la vape en deux cartes|last1=Lastennet |first1=Vincent|work=Le Télégramme|date=7 February 2016|access-date=2026-04-13|trans-title=Electronic cigarettes. The vaping market in two maps}}</ref> In December 2015, there were 2,400 vape shops in France, 400 fewer than in March of the same year.<ref name=Lastennet2016/> Industry organization Fivape said the reduction was due to consolidation, not to reduced demand.<ref name=Lastennet2016/>
<!-- United Kingdom --> In the United Kingdom, a new excise duty on vaping products (Vaping Products Duty) is scheduled to take effect from 1 October 2026, with registrations opening on 1 April 2026, following consultation.{{Update after|2026|10|1}} The government said it would implement a flat-rate structure of £2.20 per 10 mL of vaping liquid, alongside a one-off increase in tobacco duty to preserve the financial incentive to switch from smoking to vaping.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introduction of Vaping Products Duty from 1 October 2026 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-vaping-products-duty-from-1-october-2026/introduction-of-vaping-products-duty-from-1-october-2026 |access-date=2026-02-11 |publisher=HM Revenue and Customs |via=Gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vaping Products Duty: Consultation response |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6756bef7f1e6b277c4f799fd/Vaping_Products_Duty_consultation_response.pdf |access-date=2026-02-11}}</ref>
==== Vietnam and wide tobacco-related costs ==== In Vietnam, the e-cigarette market is growing rapidly, with the use rate increasing 18 times from 2015 to 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thuốc lá điện tử, nung nóng độc hại, vì sao có sức hút lớn với giới trẻ Việt Nam? |url=https://moh.gov.vn/tin-tong-hop/-/asset_publisher/k206Q9qkZOqn/content/thuoc-la-ien-tu-nung-nong-oc-hai-vi-sao-co-suc-hut-lon-voi-gioi-tre-viet-nam- |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=moh.gov.vn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Võ |first=Thu |title=5 năm, tỷ lệ hút thuốc lá điện tử ở cả nam và nữ tại Việt Nam tăng 18 lần |url=https://vietnamnet.vn/5-nam-ty-le-hut-thuoc-la-dien-tu-o-ca-nam-va-nu-tang-18-lan-2178336.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=VietNamNet News |language=vietnamese}}</ref> The use rate of e-cigarettes in adolescents aged 13–15 is 3.5%, up 1.6% from 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tỷ lệ dùng thuốc lá điện tử ở nhóm 13-15 tuổi là 3,5% |url=https://tuoitrethudo.com.vn/ty-le-dung-thuoc-la-dien-tu-o-nhom-13-15-tuoi-la-35-214306.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Báo Tuổi Trẻ Thủ Đô |language=vi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lê |first=Nga |title=Học sinh 13-15 tuổi hút thuốc lá điện tử tăng |url=https://vnexpress.net/hoc-sinh-13-15-tuoi-hut-thuoc-la-dien-tu-tang-4552652.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=vnexpress.net |language=vi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Học sinh 13-15 tuổi hút thuốc lá điện tử tăng |url=https://baoquangninh.vn/hoc-sinh-13-15-tuoi-hut-thuoc-la-dien-tu-tang-3219632.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=baoquangninh.vn |language=vi}}</ref> According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), the global economic losses caused by tobacco each year are $1.4 trillion.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-14 |title=Tổn thất kinh tế toàn cầu do thuốc lá gây ra mỗi năm là 1.400 tỷ USD |url=https://vtc.vn/ton-that-kinh-te-toan-cau-do-thuoc-la-gay-ra-moi-nam-la-1-400-ty-usd-ar837864.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Báo điện tử VTC News |language=vi}}</ref> Economic losses caused by tobacco are estimated to account for 1% of GDP.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Đề xuất cấm lưu hành thuốc lá điện tử tại Việt Nam |url=https://dangcongsan.vn/y-te/de-xuat-cam-luu-hanh-thuoc-la-dien-tu-tai-viet-nam-653229.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=dangcongsan.vn |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-23 |title=Gần 97% bệnh nhân ung thư phổi có hút thuốc lá |url=https://moha.gov.vn/chuyen-doi-so/tin-tong-hop/gan-97-benh-nhan-ung-thu-phoi-co-hut-thuoc-la-d611-t55698.html#:~:text=Th%E1%BB%91ng%20k%C3%AA%20c%E1%BB%A7a%20T%E1%BB%95%20ch%E1%BB%A9c,n%C4%83m%20l%C3%A0%201.400%20t%E1%BB%B7%20USD. |access-date=2023-12-15}}</ref> The Vietnamese government is making efforts to control the e-cigarette market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phương |first=Thảo |title=Sớm "chốt" giải pháp kiểm soát thuốc lá điện tử |url=https://laodongthudo.vn/som-chot-giai-phap-kiem-soat-thuoc-la-dien-tu-157892.html |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Báo Lao động thủ đô |language=vi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-31 |title=Ưu tiên hỗ trợ Việt Nam thực hiện các mục tiêu của Chiến lược Quốc gia về phòng chống tác hại thuốc lá |url=https://moha.gov.vn/chuyen-doi-so/tin-tong-hop/uu-tien-ho-tro-viet-nam-thuc-hien-cac-muc-tieu-cua-d611-t55636.html |access-date=2023-12-15}}</ref> However, here are still many challenges to be addressed, such as consumer's lack of understanding of the harm of e-cigarettes, unclear legal regulations, and fierce competition from imported e-cigarette products.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Theo |first=TTXVN |date=2015-05-29 |title=Kiểm soát thuốc lá tại Việt Nam: Vẫn nhiều thách thức |url=https://tuyengiao.vn/kiem-soat-thuoc-la-tai-viet-nam-van-nhieu-thach-thuc-75140 |access-date=2023-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-26 |title=Cần sớm quản lý đồng thời thuốc lá điện tử và thuốc lá làm nóng |url=https://moha.gov.vn/chuyen-doi-so/tin-tong-hop/can-som-quan-ly-dong-thoi-thuoc-la-dien-tu-va-thuo-d611-t55628.html |access-date=2023-12-15}}</ref>
== Environmental impact == {{main|Environmental impact of electronic cigarettes}}
thumb|right|upright|A discarded e-cigarette next to a traditional cigarette in a car park|alt=A discarded e-cigarette next to a traditional cigarette in a car park
Compared to traditional cigarettes, reusable e-cigarettes do not create waste and potential litter from every use in the form of discarded cigarette butts.<ref name=Howard2012/> Traditional cigarettes tend to end up in the ocean where they cause pollution,<ref name=Howard2012>{{cite web|url=http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2012/04/11/cigarettes-vs-e-cigarettes-which-is-less-environmentally-harmful/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324142409/http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2012/04/11/cigarettes-vs-e-cigarettes-which-is-less-environmentally-harmful/ |archive-date=24 March 2015 |title=Cigarettes vs. e-Cigarettes: Which Is Less Environmentally Harmful?|first1=Brian Clark|last1=Howard|work=National Geographic|date=11 April 2012}}</ref> though once discarded they undergo biodegradation and photodegradation.
A 2025 review in ''Nicotine & Tobacco Research'' concluded that the chemical, metallic and electrical composition of e-cigarettes could qualify them as hazardous and electronic waste, and recommended clear, enforceable disposal and recycling requirements, including manufacturer responsibility and consumer-facing recycling information, in jurisdictions where e-cigarettes are legally sold.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Iturralde |first1=Kameron |last2=Karunarathne |first2=Senaya |last3=Selby |first3=Peter |last4=Zawertailo |first4=Laurie |title=A Review of the Environmental Impacts of Post-Consumer Electronic Cigarette Waste and Disposal |journal=Nicotine and Tobacco Research |date=2026 |volume=28 |issue=5 |pages=700–709 |doi=10.1093/ntr/ntaf202 |pmid=41081744 |url=https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntaf202/8284959 |access-date=2026-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ngambo |first1=Gabrielle |last2=Hanna |first2=Elizabeth G. |last3=Gannon |first3=John |last4=Marcus |first4=Hannah |last5=Lomazzi |first5=Marta |last6=Azari |first6=Razieh |date=2023-10-02 |title=A scoping review on e-cigarette environmental impacts |journal=Tobacco Prevention & Cessation |language=english |volume=9 |issue=October |page=30 |doi=10.18332/tpc/172079 |issn=2459-3087|doi-access=free |pmid=37789930 |pmc=10542855 }}</ref>
E-cigarettes that are not reusable contribute to the problem of electronic waste, which can create a hazard for people and other organisms.<ref name=Nowak2014>{{cite journal|author1=Nowak D |author2=Jörres RA |author3=Rüther T|title=E-cigarettes—prevention, pulmonary health, and addiction|journal=Dtsch Ärztebl Int|volume=111|issue=20|pages=349–55|year=2014|doi=10.3238/arztebl.2014.0349|pmc=4047602|pmid=24882626}}</ref> If improperly disposed of, they can release heavy metals, nicotine, and other chemicals from batteries and unused e-liquid.<ref name="KimKabir2016" /><ref name=SmithBrar2016/> A 2024 open-access study in ''Science of the Total Environment'' that dismantled nine popular disposable vapes reported a complex mix of plastics and metals, including toxic or potentially toxic elements such as lead and mercury, which the authors noted could pose environmental hazards through leaching after littering or landfilling.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Turner |first1=Andrew |last2=Scott |first2=John W. |last3=Backshall-Kennedy |first3=Thomas |last4=Dabrowski |first4=Maya C. |date=2024-12-01 |title=Deconstructing contemporary disposable vapes: A material and elemental analysis |journal=Science of the Total Environment |volume=954 |article-number=176292 |doi=10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176292 |issn=0048-9697|doi-access=free |pmid=39306139 |bibcode=2024ScTEn.95476292T }}</ref> A July 2018–April 2019 garbology study found e-cigarette products composed 19% of the waste from all traditional and electronic tobacco and cannabis products collected at 12 public high schools in Northern California.<ref name=Mock2019>{{cite journal|last1=Mock|first1=Jeremiah|title=Notes from the Field: Environmental Contamination from E-cigarette, Cigarette, Cigar, and Cannabis Products at 12 High Schools — San Francisco Bay Area, 2018–2019|journal=MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep|volume=68|issue=40|year=2019 |pages=897–899|doi=10.15585/mmwr.mm6840a4|pmc=6788397 |pmid=31600185}}</ref>
In December 2024, research commissioned by the UK recycling charity Material Focus estimated that 13 vapes were being thrown away every second in the UK, amounting to over a million per day, and that approximately 8.2 million vapes a week were discarded or recycled incorrectly, with growth linked to larger "big puff" devices.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Horton |first1=Helena |last2=reporter |first2=Helena Horton Environment |date=2024-12-16 |title=More than a million vapes a day in UK thrown away, says research |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/dec/16/more-than-a-million-vapes-a-day-in-uk-thrown-away-says-research |access-date=2026-03-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title="Big puff" vapes adding to the vape environmental crisis |url=https://materialfocus.org.uk/?press-releases=big-puff-vapes-are-surging-onto-the-market-adding-to-the-vape-environmental-crisis |access-date=2026-03-13 |website=Material Focus |language=en-GB}}</ref> Research led by University College London and the University of Oxford reported that lithium-ion cells inside some disposable vapes can retain high capacity after hundreds of charge-discharge cycles, underscoring resource waste and the importance of proper collection and recycling of embedded batteries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2023-12-12 |title=Vast amounts of waste caused by single-use e-cigarette batteries |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2023/dec/vast-amounts-waste-caused-single-use-e-cigarette-batteries |access-date=2026-03-13 |website=UCL News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-14 |title=Study finds that vast amounts of waste are caused by single-use e-cigarette batteries {{!}} University of Oxford |url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2023-12-14-study-finds-vast-amounts-waste-are-caused-single-use-e-cigarette-batteries |access-date=2026-03-13 |website=www.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> Recycling challenges, waste issues, and fire hazards are cited. Concerns about youth vaping are also raised. The UK Vaping Industry Association defends disposables as quitting aids and warns of potential black market products if banned.<ref>{{Cite news |last= Davey |first= James |date=2023-07-15 |title= UK councils call for ban on disposable vapes by 2024 |language=en |work=Reuters |url= https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-councils-call-ban-disposable-vapes-by-2024-2023-07-15/ |access-date=2023-07-24}}</ref> Although some brands have begun recycling services for their e-cigarette cartridges and batteries, the prevalence of recycling is unknown.<ref name=Chang2014>{{cite journal|last1=Chang|first1=H. |title=Research gaps related to the environmental impacts of electronic cigarettes|journal=Tobacco Control|volume=23|issue=Supplement 2|year=2014|pages=ii54–ii58|issn=0964-4563|doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051480 |pmc=3995274|pmid=24732165}}</ref>
A 2024 UK study reported that only a minority of surveyed retailers provided recycling points despite existing legal obligations, and estimated that more than 250 million disposable vapes could be discarded before regulatory restrictions came into force.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Marsh |first=Sarah |date=2024-03-21 |title=Millions of vapes could be dumped before UK ban as retailers 'fail to recycle' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/20/millions-of-vapes-could-be-dumped-before-uk-ban-as-retailers-fail-to-recycle |access-date=2026-03-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Several jurisdictions subsequently moved to restrict or ban single-use (disposable) vapes while allowing reusable products, citing environmental and waste concerns. In Australia, imports of disposable vapes were prohibited from 1 January 2024 under new import controls.<ref>{{Cite news |last=May |first=Natasha |date=2024-01-30 |title=Australian Border Force seizes 13 tonnes of disposable vapes in Adelaide |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/30/australian-border-force-seizes-13-tonnes-vapes-adelaide-import-ban |access-date=2026-03-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-12-31 |title=A national crackdown on disposable vapes begins in 2024. How will it work? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-01/disposable-vapes-crackdown-begins-january-1-how-it-works/103272256 |access-date=2026-03-02 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian Customs Notice No. 2023/51 |url=https://www.abf.gov.au/help-and-support-subsite/CustomsNotices/2023-51.pdf |access-date=2026-03-02}}</ref> Belgium banned the sale of disposable vapes from 1 January 2025, becoming the first EU member state to do so.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Rankin |first1=Jennifer |last2=Giuffrida |first2=Angela |date=2025-01-01 |title=Belgium becomes first EU country to ban sale of disposable vapes |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/01/belgium-becomes-first-eu-country-to-ban-sale-of-disposable-vapes |access-date=2026-03-04 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Belgium will be first EU state to ban the sale of vapes |url=https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/12/29/belgium-will-be-first-eu-state-to-ban-the-sale-of-vapes |access-date=2026-03-04 |website=www.euronews.com}}</ref> In France, parliament voted in February 2025 to ban single-use e-cigarettes, citing environmental impacts alongside public health concerns.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-02-13 |title=French parliament votes to ban disposable e-cigarettes |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2025/02/13/french-parliament-votes-to-ban-disposable-e-cigarettes_6738129_7.html |access-date=2026-03-04 |language=en}}</ref>
In the United Kingdom, a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes took effect on 1 June 2025 while permitting the sale of reusable products, and government guidance states that vape sellers must offer a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) take-back service for returned vapes and parts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-03 |title=Single-use vapes ban: information for businesses |url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/single-use-vapes-ban |access-date=2026-03-04 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>
In November 2025, the Irish government approved publication of the Public Health (Single Use Vapes) Bill 2025, intended to prohibit the retail sale of disposable vapes following enactment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Government approves Minister for Health's proposals to prohibit the sale of disposable vapes and regulate future nicotine products |url=https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/government-approves-minister-for-healths-proposals-to-prohibit-the-sale-of-disposable-vapes-and-regulate-future-nicotine-products-1/ |access-date=2026-03-04 |website=gov.ie |language=en}}</ref>
In September 2025, a "non-reusable" electronic cigarette was salvaged to demonstrate a web server hosting a website by Bogdan Ionescu.<ref name="ewaste.fka.wtf">{{cite web |author1=BogdanTheGeek |title=Hosting a WebSite on a Disposable Vape |url=https://ewaste.fka.wtf/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260306085625/https://ewaste.fka.wtf/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2026-03-06 |website=ewaste.fka.wtf |access-date=20 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="github/vapeserver">{{cite web |author1=BogdanTheGeek |title=Hosting a WebSite on a Disposable Vape |url=https://bogdanthegeek.github.io/blog/projects/vapeserver/ |website=BogdanTheGeek's Blog |publisher=|via=github |access-date=20 May 2026 |language=en |date=13 September 2025}}</ref>
== Related technologies == Other devices to deliver inhaled nicotine have been developed.<ref name=Giroudde2015/> They aim to mimic the ritual and behavioral aspects of traditional cigarettes.<ref name="Giroudde2015">{{cite journal |last1=Giroud |first1=Christian|last2=de Cesare|first2=Mariangela|last3=Berthet|first3=Aurélie |last4=Varlet|first4=Vincent|last5=Concha-Lozano|first5=Nicolas|last6=Favrat|first6=Bernard|title=E-Cigarettes: A Review of New Trends in Cannabis Use|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=12|issue=8|year=2015|pages=9988–10008|issn=1660-4601|pmc=4555324 |pmid=26308021|doi=10.3390/ijerph120809988|doi-access=free}}{{CC-notice|cc=by4|url=http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/12/8/9988/htm|author(s)=Christian Giroud, Mariangela de Cesare, Aurélie Berthet, Vincent Varlet, Nicolas Concha-Lozano, and Bernard Favrat}}</ref>
British American Tobacco, through their subsidiary Nicoventures, licensed a nicotine delivery system based on existing asthma inhaler technology from UK-based healthcare company Kind Consumer.<ref>{{cite news |title=BAT unit to market nicotine inhaler|publisher=Tobacco Journal International |url=http://www.tobaccojournal.com/BAT_unit_to_market__innovative__nicotine_inhaler.50583.0.html |date=7 June 2011}}</ref> In September 2014 a product based on this named Voke obtained approval from the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.<ref name="Odell2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ecff7448-3a86-11e4-bd08-00144feabdc0|title=British American Tobacco nicotine inhaler wins regulatory approval|author=Mark Odell|work=Financial Times|date=12 September 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
In 2011, Philip Morris International bought the rights to a nicotine pyruvate technology developed by Jed Rose at Duke University.<ref>{{cite news |author=Michael Felberbaum |date=26 May 2011 |url= http://archive.boston.com/business/articles/2011/05/26/philip_morris_intl_buys_rights_to_nicotine_system/ |title=Philip Morris Int'l buys rights to nicotine system|work=The Boston Globe|agency=Associated Press|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> The technology is based on the chemical reaction between pyruvic acid and nicotine, which produces an inhalable nicotine pyruvate vapor.<ref>{{cite web |date=27 February 2010 |url=http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/02/27/new.smoking.cessation.therapy.proves.promising |title=New smoking cessation therapy proves promising |website=Esciencenews |access-date=16 May 2013 |archive-date=18 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118100609/http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/02/27/new.smoking.cessation.therapy.proves.promising }}</ref> Philip Morris Products S.A. created a different kind e-cigarette named P3L.{{sfnp|National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine|2018|loc=Nicotine Salts |p=96}} The device is supplied with a cartridge that contains nicotine and lactic acid in different cavities.{{sfnp|National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine|2018|loc=Nicotine Salts |p=96}} When turned on and heated, the nicotine salt called nicotine lactate forms an aerosol.{{sfnp|National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine|2018|loc=Nicotine Salts |p=96}}
thumb|right|Philip Morris International's IQOS device with charger and tobacco stick|alt=Philip Morris International's iQOS device with charger and tobacco stick. The IQOS is a heated tobacco product marketed by Philip Morris International.<ref name="Uranaka2016">{{cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/entry/iqos-e-cigarette_us_56fa8639e4b0a372181af0c4|title=Big Tobacco Is Starting To Cash In On Vaping|author1=Taiga Uranaka|author2=Ritsuko Shimizu|work=HuffPost|agency=Reuters|date=29 March 2016|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> It heats tobacco at a lower temperature than traditional cigarettes.<ref name=LiSaad2018>{{cite journal|last1=Li|first1=Gerard|last2=Saad|first2=Sonia|last3=Oliver|first3=Brian|last4=Chen|first4=Hui|title=Heat or Burn? Impacts of Intrauterine Tobacco Smoke and E-Cigarette Vapor Exposure on the Offspring's Health Outcome|journal=Toxics|volume=6|issue=3|year=2018|page=43|issn=2305-6304|doi=10.3390/toxics6030043|pmc=6160993|pmid=30071638|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018Toxic...6...43L }}{{CC-notice|cc=by4|url=https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/6/3/43/htm|author(s)=Gerard Li, Sonia Saad, Brian G. Oliver, and Hui Chen}}</ref> The tobacco sticks reach a temperature up to 350 °C.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.salon.com/2014/06/26/philip_morris_intl_to_sell_marlboro_heatsticks/|title=Philip Morris Int'l to sell Marlboro Heatsticks|author=Michael Felberbaum|publisher=Salon Media Group |agency=Associated Press|date=26 June 2014|access-date=2 June 2019|archive-date=28 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628134323/http://www.salon.com/2014/06/26/philip_morris_intl_to_sell_marlboro_heatsticks/}}</ref> It sold first in Japan since November 2014.<ref name=TabuchiKiyohara2016>{{cite journal|last1=Tabuchi|first1=Takahiro|last2=Kiyohara|first2=Kosuke |last3=Hoshino|first3=Takahiro|last4=Bekki|first4=Kanae|last5=Inaba|first5=Yohei|last6=Kunugita |first6=Naoki|title=Awareness and use of electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn tobacco products in Japan|journal=Addiction|volume=111|issue=4|year=2016|pages=706–713|issn=0965-2140|doi=10.1111/add.13231 |pmid=26566956}}</ref> In December 2016, the United Tobacco Vapor Group's (UTVG) stated that they have been given a patent for their vaporizing component system.<ref name=Yahoo2016/> QMOS from UTVG does not contain a wick or sponge and the number of components is 5 compared to 20 for traditional e-cigarettes.<ref name=Yahoo2016>{{cite news|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vaporizing-technology-qmos-set-revolutionize-140000566.html|title=New Vaporizing Technology, qmos, set to Revolutionize Vaping and E-Cigarette Industries|publisher=Yahoo! Finance|agency=PR Newswire|date=2 December 2016}}</ref>
Pax Labs has developed vaporizers that heats the leaves of tobacco to deliver nicotine in a vapor.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2013-11-21/plooms-e-cigarettes-vaporizers-use-real-tobacco|title=Ploom's E-Cigarettes and Vaporizers Use Real Tobacco|author=Brad Stone|work=Bloomberg Businessweek|date=21 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Melissa Vonder Haar|work=CSP Magazine|date=11 March 2015|url=http://www.cspnet.com/category-news/tobacco/articles/pax-labs-ceo-teases-fundamentally-different-e-cigarette|title=PAX Labs CEO Teases 'Fundamentally Different' E-Cigarette |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419214721/http://www.cspnet.com/category-news/tobacco/articles/pax-labs-ceo-teases-fundamentally-different-e-cigarette |archive-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> In June 2015, they introduced Juul, a type of e-cigarette which delivers 10 times as much nicotine as other e-cigarettes, equivalent to an actual cigarette puff.<ref name="Yakowicz2015">{{cite news|url=http://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/pax-labs-vaporizer-company-raises-47-million.html|title=This Silicon Valley Company Just Raised $47 Million to Smoke Cigarette Makers|author=Will Yakowicz |work=Inc.|date=10 June 2015|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Juul was spun off from Pax Labs in June 2017 and is now available by the independent company Juul Labs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/08/pax-labs-brings-on-bharat-vasan-as-new-ceo/|last1=Crook |first1=Jordan|title=PAX Labs brings on Bharat Vasan as new CEO|work=TechCrunch|date=8 February 2018|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> The eTron 3T from Vapor Tobacco Manufacturing, launched in December 2014,<ref name=Tuinstra2014/> employs a patented, aqueous system whereby the tobacco is extracted into water.<ref name="O'Connell2013">{{cite web|last1=O'Connell|first1=Thomas|title=US8479747B2 - Method for preparing tobacco extract for electronic smoking devices|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US8479747 |website=Google Patents|date=9 July 2013}}</ref> The e-liquid contains organic tobacco, organic glycerin, and water.<ref name=Tuinstra2014>{{cite news|last1=Tuinstra|first1=Taco|url=http://www.tobaccoreporter.com/2014/12/certified-organic-e-liquids-being-launched-by-vtm/|title=Certified organic e-liquids being launched by VTM|work=Tobacco Reporter|date=16 December 2014|archive-date=31 July 2017|access-date=12 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731211440/http://www.tobaccoreporter.com/2014/12/certified-organic-e-liquids-being-launched-by-vtm/}}</ref>
In December 2013, Japan Tobacco launched Ploom in Japan.<ref name=Tuinstra2016>{{cite news|url=http://www.tobaccoreporter.com/2016/01/jt-announces-launch-of-next-generation-ploom/|title=JT announces launch of next-generation Ploom|first=Taco|last=Tuinstra|work=Tobacco Reporter|date=26 January 2016|archive-date=31 July 2017|access-date=2 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731233021/http://www.tobaccoreporter.com/2016/01/jt-announces-launch-of-next-generation-ploom/}}</ref> In January 2016, they launched Ploom TECH<ref name=Rossel2016>{{cite news|url=http://www.tobaccoreporter.com/2016/07/blending-nature-and-technology/|title=Blending nature and technology|first=Stefanie|last=Rossel|work=Tobacco Reporter|date=1 July 2016|archive-date=26 May 2018|access-date=2 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526201249/http://www.tobaccoreporter.com/2016/07/blending-nature-and-technology/}}</ref> that produces a vapor from a heated liquid that moves through a capsule of granulated tobacco leaves.<ref name="Chambers2017">{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-03/japan-tobacco-sees-no-quick-fix-for-heat-not-burn-shortage|title=Japan Tobacco Sees No Quick Fix for Heat-Not-Burn Shortage|first=Sam |last=Chambers|work=Bloomberg News|date=3 February 2017|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> In 2016, British American Tobacco (BAT) released its own version of the heat but not burn technology called glo in Japan<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/22/business/corporate-business/bat-finds-strong-japan-demand-glo-smokeless-tobacco-device/|title=BAT finds strong Japan demand for its Glo smokeless tobacco device|work=The Japan Times|agency=Reuters|date=22 March 2017}}</ref> and Switzerland.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/04/26/business/26reuters-brit-am-tobacco-agm.html?_r=0|title=British American Says 2017 Trading in Line With Expectations|work=The New York Times|agency=Reuters|date=26 April 2017}}</ref> It uses tobacco sticks rather than nicotine liquid,<ref name="Uranaka2017">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brit-am-tobacco-smokeless-idUSKBN18Q0EB|title=British American Tobacco will expand sales of its "glo" tobacco-heating device to Tokyo and Osaka from July|last1=Uranaka|first1=Taiga|last2=Sarkar|first2=Himani|publisher=Reuters |date=30 May 2017|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> and does not directly heat or burn tobacco.<ref name=ANI2016>{{cite news |url=http://www.india.com/buzz/now-safer-e-cigarette-with-tobacco-flavour-less-harmful-smoke-1010152/ |title=Now, 'safer' e-cigarette with tobacco flavour, less harmful smoke|author=ANI|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|agency=India WebPortal Private Limited|date=6 March 2016}}</ref> Heated tobacco products were first introduced in 1988, but were not a commercial success.<ref name=Caputi2016>{{cite journal|last1=Caputi|first1=TL|title=Heat-not-burn tobacco products are about to reach their boiling point.|journal=Tobacco Control|volume=26|issue=5|pages=609–610|date=24 August 2016|pmid=27558827 |s2cid=46170776|doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053264}}</ref>
BLOW started selling e-hookahs, an electronic version of the hookah in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/E-Hookah-vape-cigarette-smoke-243042311.html|title='E-Hookah' Debuts in San Diego Amid Critics|author=Candice Nguyen|publisher=NBCUniversal|date=1 February 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> The handle of each hose for the e-hookah contains a heating element and a liquid, which produces vapor.<ref name=Ochs2014>{{cite news |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2099480/blow-hookah-no-fire-no-charcoal-just-vapor-and-lasers.html|title=Blow Hookah: No fire, no charcoal, just vapor and lasers |author=Susie Ochs|work=PC World |agency=TechHive |date=20 February 2014|access-date=2 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318200026/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2099480/blow-hookah-no-fire-no-charcoal-just-vapor-and-lasers.html|archive-date=18 March 2017}}</ref> Gopal Bhatnagar, based in Toronto, Canada, invented a 3D printed adapter to turn a traditional hookah into an e-hookah.<ref name="Thimmesch2014">{{cite news |url=https://3dprint.com/17857/3d-printed-hookah/|title=Canadian Doctor Promotes a 3D Printed Adapter for Converting Hookahs to E-Hookahs |author=Debra Thimmesch|publisher=3DPrint.com|agency=3DR Holdings|date=7 October 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> It is used instead of the ceramic bowl that contains shisha tobacco.<ref name=3DPI2014/> Rather than the tobacco, users can insert e-cigarettes.<ref name=3DPI2014>{{cite news |url=https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/3dpi-tv-3d-printed-e-hookah-adapter-help-smokers-27401/ |title=3DPI.TV – 3D Printed e-Hookah Adapter Could Help Smokers|publisher=3DPI.TV|agency=3D Printing Industry|date=20 May 2014}}</ref>
== Vaping of drugs other than nicotine == {{Further|CBD cigarette}} Some vape pens, generally not referred to as "e-cigarettes", contain cannabis derivatives instead of nicotine and tobacco derivatives. Some cannabis pens, known as "dab pens", contain cannabis extracted using butane as solvent ("butane hash oil"). Other vaporizers contain e-liquid made with pure THC, and they generally resemble conventional e-cigarettes. A 2020 study shows that one third of teenagers engaged in conventional, tobacco vaping also engage in THC vaping.<ref name="THC vaping article">{{cite journal |last1=Chadi |first1=Nicholas |last2=Minato |first2=Claudia |last3=Stanwick |first3=Richard |title=Cannabis vaping: Understanding the health risks of a rapidly emerging trend |journal=Paediatrics & Child Health |pages=S16–S20 |doi=10.1093/pch/pxaa016 |date=June 2020|volume=25 |issue=Suppl 1 |pmid=33390752 |pmc=7757764 }}</ref>
KanaVape is an e-cigarette containing cannabidiol (CBD) and no THC.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/kanavape-antonin-cohen-interview-france-cannabis-e-cigarette-legal-876/ |author=Gaspard Glanz|author-link=Gaspard Glanz |title=France's First Cannabis E-Cigarette Is Completely Legal|publisher=Vice|date=17 December 2014|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Several companies including Canada's Eagle Energy Vapor are selling caffeine-based e-cigarettes instead of containing nicotine.<ref name="Ma2015">{{cite news|author=Alexandra Ma|date=11 August 2015|title=This Is What It's Like To Vape Caffeine |work=HuffPost |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/entry/eagle-energy-vapor-caffeine_55c8c514e4b0f1cbf1e5a202|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> Some e-cigarettes marketed as being "nicotine-free" have been found to instead contain the nicotine analogue 6-methylnicotine, which is more potent and may be more addictive than nicotine itself.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Vanhee C, Dill M, Canfyn M, Tuenter E, Barhdadi S | date = Aug 2025 | title = The Emergence of a Novel Synthetic Nicotine Analog 6-Methyl Nicotine (6-MN) in Proclaimed Tobacco- and Nicotine-Free Pouches Available in Europe | url = | journal = Drug Test Anal | volume = 17 | issue = 8| pages = 1368–1379 | doi = 10.1002/dta.3841 | pmid = 39697046 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author = Jenkins C, Kelso C, Morgan J | date = Sep 2024 | title = 6-Methylnicotine: a new nicotine alternative identified in e-cigarette liquids sold in Australia | url = | journal = Med J Aust | volume = 221 | issue = 6| pages = 333–335 | doi = 10.5694/mja2.52423 | pmid = 39188177 | doi-access = free }}</ref>
More broadly, vape pens and e-liquids have become increasingly widely used as a delivery mechanism for a wide variety of illicit and designer drugs. These can include stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine, opioids such as fentanyl analogs and nitazenes, a wide variety of synthetic cannabinoids as well as semi-synthetic cannabinoids derived from THC, sedatives including benzodiazepines like etizolam as well as etomidate and methaqualone, psychedelics such as NBOMe substituted phenethylamine derivatives, dissociatives such as ketamine, and assorted other compounds.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Varlet | first1=V. | title=Drug Vaping: From the Dangers of Misuse to New Therapeutic Devices | journal=Toxics | date=2016 | volume=4 | issue=4 | page=29 | doi=10.3390/toxics4040029 | pmid=29051432 | bibcode=2016Toxic...4...29V | doi-access=free | pmc=5606648 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Breitbarth | first1=Andreas K. | last2=Morgan | first2=Jody | last3=Jones | first3=Alison L. | title=E-cigarettes—An unintended illicit drug delivery system | journal=Drug and Alcohol Dependence | date=2018 | volume=192 | pages=98–111 | doi=10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.07.031 | pmid=30245461 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Krakowiak | first1=Rose I. | last2=Poklis | first2=Justin L. | last3=Peace | first3=Michelle R. | title=The Analysis of Aerosolized Methamphetamine from E-cigarettes Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry | journal=Journal of Analytical Toxicology | date=2019 | volume=43 | issue=8 | pages=592–599 | doi=10.1093/jat/bkz067 | pmid=31504663 | pmc=6921295 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Steinmetz | first1=Fabian P. | last2=Stöver | first2=Heino | title=The cocaine-e-cigarette – A theoretical concept of a harm reduction device for current users of smokable cocaine forms | journal=Drug Science, Policy and Law | date=2021 | volume=7 | article-number=20503245211049310 | doi=10.1177/20503245211049310 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Norman | first1=Caitlyn | last2=Reid | first2=Robert | last3=Hill | first3=Kevin | last4=Cruickshanks | first4=Fiona | last5=Daeid | first5=Niamh Nic | title=Newly emerging synthetic cannabinoids and novel modes of use of benzodiazepines in prisons: An update from the Scottish Prisons Non-Judicial Seizures Drug Monitoring Project | journal=Toxicologie Analytique et Clinique | date=2022 | volume=34 | issue=3 | pages=S150 | doi=10.1016/j.toxac.2022.06.253 | bibcode=2022ToxAC..34S.150N }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Morris | first1=James D. | last2=Pebley | first2=Kinsey | last3=Little | first3=Melissa A. | title=Vaping Opioids: Should We be Worried? | journal=American Journal of Health Promotion | date=2023 | volume=37 | issue=8 | pages=1171–1173 | doi=10.1177/08901171231193785 | pmid=37547936 | pmc=11626417 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Norman | first1=Caitlyn | last2=Webling | first2=Kristin | last3=Kyslychenko | first3=Oleksandra | last4=Reid | first4=Robert | last5=Krotulski | first5=Alex J. | last6=Farrell | first6=Ryan | last7=Deventer | first7=Marie H. | last8=Liu | first8=Huiling | last9=Connolly | first9=Matthew J. | last10=Guillou | first10=Claude | last11=Vinckier | first11=Inge M. J. | last12=Logan | first12=Barry K. | last13=Nicdaéid | first13=Niamh | last14=McKenzie | first14=Craig | last15=Stove | first15=Christophe P. | last16=Gréen | first16=Henrik | title=Detection in seized samples, analytical characterization, and in vitro metabolism of the newly emerged 5-bromo-indazole-3-carboxamide synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists | journal=Drug Testing and Analysis | date=2024 | volume=16 | issue=9 | pages=915–935 | doi=10.1002/dta.3609 | pmid=38037247 | hdl=1854/LU-01HVK0B5FR1FT85Q49G3ZD2XKH | hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Sala | first1=Mariaelvina | title=Electronic cigarettes are a tool to vape illicit drugs | journal=Discover Public Health | date=2024 | volume=21 | article-number=68 | doi=10.1186/s12982-024-00191-0 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Copeland | first1=Caroline S. | title=Commentary on Craft ''et al'' .: Drug contaminants and substitutions in illicit vapes represent a major health risk | journal=Addiction | date=2025 | volume=120 | issue=3 | pages=555–556 | doi=10.1111/add.16777 | pmid=39856530 | pmc=11813728 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Chung | first1=Jack | last2=Lim | first2=Carmen C.W. | last3=Stjepanović | first3=Daniel | last4=Hall | first4=Wayne | last5=Connor | first5=Jason P. | last6=Chan | first6=Gary C.K. | title=Adolescent Cannabis Vaping Trends (2021–2023): Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol, and Synthetic Cannabinoids | journal=American Journal of Preventive Medicine | date=2025 | volume=69 | issue=6 | article-number=107655 | doi=10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107655 | pmid=40590811 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unodc.org/LSS/Announcement/Details/8afbc6e8-9439-4ed8-8117-30d80173590a|title=News: April 2025 – Increasing range of drugs and new psychoactive substances found in vaping products|website=www.unodc.org|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref>
==See also== *Vaping cessation
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite web|url=http://apps.who.int/gb/fctc/PDF/cop6/FCTC_COP6_10-en.pdf|title=Electronic nicotine delivery systems|website=World Health Organization|pages=1–13|date=21 July 2014|ref={{harvid|WHO|2014}}}} * {{cite web|author1=Linda Bauld|author2=Kathryn Angus|author3=Marisa de Andrade|date=May 2014 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311491/Ecigarette_uptake_and_marketing.pdf|title=E-cigarette uptake and marketing|location=UK|website=Public Health England |pages=1–19|ref={{harvid|Bauld|2014}}}} * {{cite web|last1=McNeill|first1=A|last2=Brose|first2=LS|last3=Calder|first3=R|last4=Bauld|first4=L |last5=Robson|first5=D|title=Evidence review of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products 2018 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/684963/Evidence_review_of_e-cigarettes_and_heated_tobacco_products_2018.pdf|location=UK|website=Public Health England|pages=1–243|date=February 2018|ref={{harvid|McNeill|2018}}}} * {{cite web|last1=McNeill|first1=A|last2=Brose|first2=LS|last3=Calder|first3=R|last4=Hitchman|first4=SC |last5=Hajek|first5=P|last6=McRobbie|first6=H|title=E-cigarettes: an evidence update |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/454516/Ecigarettes_an_evidence_update_A_report_commissioned_by_Public_Health_England.pdf|location=UK|website=Public Health England |pages=1–113 |date=August 2015|ref={{harvid|McNeill|2015}}}} * {{cite book|editor-last1=Stratton |editor-first1=Kathleen |editor-last2=Kwan |editor-first2=Leslie Y. |editor-last3=Eaton |editor-first3=David L. |title=Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes |author=((National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine)) |publisher=National Academies Press |place=Washington, DC |date=January 2018 |doi=10.17226/24952 |pmid=29894118 |bibcode=2018nap..book24952N |isbn=978-0-309-46834-3 |collaboration=Committee on the Review of the Health Effects of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems |url=https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/24952/chapter/1#vii |access-date=15 January 2023}} [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507163/ Summary] * {{cite book|url=https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/21569/Share|title=The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General|publisher=Surgeon General of the United States |pmid=24455788 |author1=National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention Health Promotion (US) Office on Smoking Health|pages=1–943|year=2014|ref={{harvid|SGUS|2014}}}} * {{cite web|title=State Health Officer's Report on E-Cigarettes: A Community Health Threat |website=California Tobacco Control Program|agency=California Department of Public Health |pages=1–21|date=January 2015 |url=https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/CTCB/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Policy/ElectronicSmokingDevices/StateHealthEcigReport.pdf |ref={{harvid|Chapman|2015}}}}{{PD-notice}} * {{cite web|last1=Wilder|first1=Natalie|last2=Daley|first2=Claire|last3=Sugarman|first3=Jane |last4=Partridge|first4=James|title=Nicotine without smoke: Tobacco harm reduction |url=https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/nicotine-without-smoke-tobacco-harm-reduction-0 |location=UK|website=Royal College of Physicians|pages=1–191|date=April 2016|ref={{harvid|Wilder|2016}}}}
==External links== * {{Commons category-inline|Electronic cigarettes}} * {{cite web | url=https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/tobacconicotine-vaping | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606183502/https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/tobacconicotine-vaping | archive-date=6 June 2022 | publisher=National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) |title=Tobacco/Nicotine and Vaping| date=7 June 2021 }}
{{Electronic cigarettes}} {{Authority control}}
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