Why do kids Vape 

By Lillian Battey

It seems a lot of kids are vaping these days and I want to know why. To get some answers,  I sent a poll to TEACH-NW students, asking specific questions about their vaping experience.

After looking through the responses from my poll, something stood out to me. One respondent said they have never vaped but a few of their friends do. They said their friends vape because everyone else does. This is an example of peer pressure.  Peer pressure is often the reason kids use substances that are harmful. Kids can get pressured into doing a lot of things like drinking, smoking, or other addictive behaviors.

According to the CDC, vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes because it exposes fewer toxic chemicals, but that does not mean it’s safe. You still get long damage (like EVALI), heavy metal exposure (like nickel, tin, and lead), heart issues, and exposure to cancer causing ingredients like formaldehyde. This means vaping is not only a bad habit, but is very bad for your health as well. It's especially bad for youth and pregnant women. 

According to the CDC, roughly 1 out of 10 high school kids vape and in 2024, 1.63 million (5.9%) students used e-cigarettes. 410,000 (3.5%) were middle school students, and 1.21 million (7.8%) were high school students. In 2024, most teens used flavored vapes like fruity, mint, and sweet flavors. Many teens get their vapes from their friends or buy them from a reseller that gets requests for vape flavors. They then and they will go buy them and sell them to teens. In 2024, more girls than boys were vaping.CDC  

In Washington State there has been a new tax proposal put before the Senate. If approved, the proposal would raise the cigarette tax by about $1.97 per pack and a 10% increase on flavored products. It would also add a similar increase to vaping products. Supporters of the new tax increase say it could prevent up to 5,700 kids from starting to vape, and encourage 21,000 adults to quit. Washington state estimates that approximately $10 million annually would go toward youth prevention, education. This could also reduce the amount of kids vaping.  

Nicotine is the main substance that is addicting in tobacco products like vapes. With repeated use, a person's brain gets used to nicotine and the brain becomes addicted to having nicotine every day. That can make the user think they need nicotine to feel okay. If they don't, they will go through withdrawals. Withdrawal is something that is uncontrollable and it can happen with anything like drinking, and drug use. 

Withdrawal symptoms include: 

• Changes in appetite

• Changes in mood

• Chills or shivering

• Congestion

• Depression

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Muscle pain

• Nausea

• Restlessness

• Runny nose

• Shakiness

• Sleeping difficulties

• Sweating

• Tremors

• Vomiting

Scientists are still studying the long term effects of vaping and long lasting side effects are still unknown. In conclusion, vaping is not considered a healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes, it is a bad habit and no one should do it. If you  or you know someone who smokes or vapes there are resources out there to help you quit. It you want help quitting Click here 

Works Cited

“E-Cigarette Use Among Youth | Smoking and Tobacco Use.” CDC, 17 October 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/youth.html . Accessed 25 February 2026.

“Health Effects of Vaping | Smoking and Tobacco Use.” CDC, 31 January 2025, https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/health-effects.html . Accessed 4 March 2026.

“Is nicotine addictive? | National Institute on Drug Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1 January 2020, https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes/nicotine-addictive . Accessed 25 February 2026.

T, Buddy. “Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline, Treatment, and Coping.” Verywell Mind, 28 October 2025, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-withdrawal-how-long-does-it-last-63036 . Accessed 25 February 2026.

“Washington House to take up $2-per-pack cigarette, vape tax hike after clearing the Senate.” Washington House to take up $2-per-pack cigarette, vape tax hike after clearing the Senate, KOMO News, 4th March 2026, https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-lawmakers-consider-hiking-cigarette-tax-by-2-per-pack-nicotine-addiction-tobacco-vape-healthcare-law . Accessed 4th march 2026.

“Why Youth Vape | Smoking and Tobacco Use.” CDC, 17 October 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/why-youth-vape.html . Accessed 25 February 2026.