Many vapers pick up their first vape without even knowing how addictive nicotine is. Fun flavors and sleek packaging can make vaping look harmless—fun, even. But vapes contain a concentrated amount of nicotine, often at higher levels than cigarettes, meaning they’re incredibly addictive. Teens are the most susceptible to vape’s “harmless” image; almost 1 in 10 high school students are vaping. And even though close to 70% of students who currently vape have tried to quit, many of them struggle to stop. 

Vapes mask their dangerous chemicals with bright colors and candy-like flavors, but the toxins in vapes are well documented. Vaping liquids contain harmful metal particles—nickel, lead, chromium, tin, and aluminum—that you can’t taste or smell right away. Vaping heats these metals until they become an aerosol, meaning you’re inhaling these chemicals directly into your lungs. Buying crazy fruit flavors might sound and taste like a treat, but vaping liquid is nothing but a trick. What’s worse, vapor can expose you (and those surrounding you) to toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, acrolein, and acetaldehyde. So, without realizing, you could be endangering not only yourself, but all the people who breathe in your second hand vapor.

All of these toxic chemicals have long term effects on your body. Like smoking, vaping significantly increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Heart failure is even more likely to occur for nicotine users who smoke and vape at the same time.

Vaping, not surprisingly, also irritates the lungs and can lead to chronic conditions. Vaping increases your risk of developing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. You might already notice that your breathing is more restricted or that you’re short of breath more often. If you’re tired of catching your breath, and you don’t want your pesky cough to develop into something serious, this might be your time to quit.

Maybe you’ve noticed the link between your heart, lungs, and vaping. But have you thought about vaping’s damaging effects on sexual health and fertility? Some of the risks include lowered sex drive, decreased lubrication, and erectile dysfunction. In addition to taking the pleasure out of the bedroom, vaping can also lower sperm count and ovarian reserve, meaning that you might have a more difficult time getting pregnant while vaping. The Mayo clinic also advises quitting vaping while pregnant, since the chemicals and nicotine found in e-liquid, as we’ve mentioned, can be harmful to a growing baby.

Vaping can lower your immunity, making it that much easier to catch something this spooky season. Don’t believe us? Ever noticed that after using your vape more often, you suddenly come down with a cold? Unfortunately, vaping makes it more difficult for our immune cells to move and function typically, leaving you vulnerable to infections and illnesses. When your body is busy cleaning out toxins found in vapes, it has a harder time fighting off sneaky intruders.

Unfortunately, vaping can also reduce blood flow to hair follicles. The less blood delivered to your hair follicles, the less nutrients your hair follicle receives. This lack of nutrients can result in hair loss.

If you quit vaping, you'll in turn be promoting healthy hair growth, limiting your chances of hair loss or damage. Your hair grows continuously at about a rate of 1cm a month. After quitting, you’ll notice your new hair is thicker, fuller, and stronger. 

This Halloween, give yourself the best treat of all: a vape free life. And while the thought of quitting can feel scary (we’re creatures of habit, after all!), Jones is here to support you in your journey. Nicotine replacement therapy is the most effective way to quit, and Jones combines NRT mints with science backed behavioral support. So whether you’re worried about going out without your vape, gaining weight, or fighting cravings, Jones is here to help.

Need some extra advice? We’ve got you covered—for more info, check out our guide on how to quit vaping. And if you still have questions, you can ask our AI coach, Coach Jones, even the scary questions you might not want to bring up at your next party. Remember, not quitting is so much scarier for your health in the long run than quitting.