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NOVEMBER 2025

4 myths about vaping

Vaping is breathing in a mist made by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette, also known as a vape). Some people use it to quit smoking. Others enjoy the flavors and social aspects of vaping. But there are some beliefs about vaping that don’t quite match up with the facts.

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Common myths1 you should know about vaping


Myth #1: Vaping is a safer alternative to smoking.

Fact: Vape products contain thousands of chemicals, many of which we haven’t identified yet or don’t know the long-term effects of. Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t fully reviewed vape products, they all have different formulas. But the ingredients we do know of are alarming.2 They include:
  • Carcinogens: Cancer-causing chemicals such as acetaldehyde and formaldehyde (the main ingredient that’s used in embalming liquid)
  • Diacetyl: A chemical linked to a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, aka “popcorn lung”
  • Heavy metals: Such as lead and nickel

Myth #2: Vapes aren’t as addictive.

Fact: Nope, they’re just as addictive. Many users take in more nicotine than with regular cigarettes. Nicotine is bad for your heart and lungs. It raises your blood pressure and spikes adrenaline. These side effects can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Myth #3: Vaping is a good way to quit smoking.

Fact: Research actually shows that most people who vape to quit their nicotine habit end up doing both — vaping and smoking.

Myth #4: Vaping helps keep people from smoking cigarettes.

Fact: It’s actually getting more people — especially young people — hooked on nicotine. Even those who wouldn’t have smoked cigarettes in the first place.

Where there’s no smoke, there’s still nicotine

Nicotine doesn’t just come from cigarettes or vapes. It also shows up in other forms that are just as addictive and carry health risks, including:

  • Pouches and nicotine gum: Aside from the risk of heart attack and stroke from using nicotine, another risk of using these products is releasing too much nicotine into your bloodstream at once and getting nicotine poisoning. Nicotine poisoning can cause diarrhea, dizziness and even lead to comas.3
  • Dip (chewing tobacco): Dip is loaded with fiberglass that cuts your mouth and gums (which is how the nicotine gets into your bloodstream). And it’s been proven to cause issues such as bad breath and even several types of highly fatal cancers, such as pancreatic cancer. In fact, people who use tobacco are 50% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who don’t.4

If you use tobacco or nicotine and would like to quit, help is available. You can join thousands of smokers across the country in taking the first step during the Great American Smokeout® on November 20. You can also enroll in the  Costco Tobacco & Nicotine Cessation Program for coaching and support to help you on your journey.

Sources:

1Johns Hopkins Medicine. 5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know.
2American Lung Association. What’s in an E-Cigarette?
3American Academy of Pediatrics. Dangers of Smokeless Tobacco.
4American Cancer Society. Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factors.

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