Vaping Companies
Target NYC Teens

STORY BY DOLCE CORTES + ITZEL LOPEZ

Published on June 3, 2025

Liya Avgar, a junior from Calhoun High School in Manhattan, began vaping due to the influence of her friends. Avgar said, “I’ve experienced brain fog at time[s] when I would smoke a lot daily.” 

Liya is one of thousands of teens across New York City who have become addicted to vapes in recent years. A month-long investigation by Bronx Documentary Center students has revealed a growing problem, with school bathrooms across the borough often full of teens sneaking puffs on brightly colored electronic nicotine devices. 

A vape or e-cigarette, is an electronic device that comes in many different flavors, sizes, and colors. Inside these devices is a cartridge, or tank, that contains nicotine liquid. According to the Texas Health and Human Services, E-cigarettes release tiny particles released in solid, liquid and gas forms which cause lung cancer, asthma, and damage to other organs. 

Marketing to Teens

Vapes are everywhere today, part of what has become a $30 billion a year global business aimed partly at adolescents: For New York City teens, avoiding vapes feels nearly impossible. According to Zoe Cruz, Bronx Youth Engagement Manager at Public Health Solutions, tobacco companies are targeting vulnerable teens. “Mango, cherry, fruity pebbles–having all these fruity, sounding, healthy flavors for young people, it’s attractive to them.” 

All vapes are battery powered and some have built in video games such as Pac Man, Mario and Q*bert. Vape companies are also camouflaging them, making vapes that look like teddy bears, lipstick, and even fake asthma inhalers. The goal of camouflaging the vapes, parents and teachers say, is to help students sneak them into schools without being caught.The vaping problem has gotten so bad in some NYC schools that administrators have blocked off bathroom stalls to keep students from vaping in them. According to a Stanford University study, done in conjunction with other researchers, over 7,000 tobacco retailers are within 1,000 feet from public schools—a distance of roughly two city blocks. These stores attempt to grab teens’ attention with flashy colorful lighting and cartoon characters.

Health Effects Vaping on Adolescents

According to the Center for Disease Control, many teens start vaping because they feel stressed or anxious, but nicotine can worsen these symptoms. The Cleveland Clinic, a non profit medical center, reports that vaping can cause inflammation in the lungs, leading to scarring and blockage in tubes. While inhaling the e-cigarette, it has been common to have explosions in the mouth which can also cause severe burns. Zoe Cruz of Public Health Solutions says of teens, “They don’t think that they’re smoking something that could cause cancer, that could cause lung damage, brain damage, as well as heart damage.” 

The Effect of Vape Waste in the Environment

An additional issue is the devastating environmental effects of discarded vapes, which contain flammable batteries made out of lithium ion and toxic materials, making it harder to break down without overheating. 

Piles of discarded vapes routinely explode in town dumps and landfills. Chris Bosch, the Health and Safety manager of Ecomaine, a recycling company, says, “[The] reaction can cause a fire, explosion or toxic emissions of gasses including carbon monoxide and methane that get into the environment.” Liquid nicotine vapes also contain toxic substances that can be absorbed by sea animals or groundwater, allowing for these areas to be poisoned. 

In New York, someone could be holding and using something that seems harmless, when in reality, they’re slowly harming themselves and their community.

“I didn’t want to accept that it was an addiction, but behind that I knew I was addicted to it,” said one student from the Theatre Arts Production  Company School  (TAPCo) in the Bronx.

“I think vaping changed a lot about me... It changed my mental health. It was hard to interact with people, my family. Every time we would get in an argument, I would feel the need to escape.”

The warning signs have always been there. But for many teens, recognizing the damage vaping can cause them is the hardest part and the first step toward healing.