E-cigarettes

Did you know that the City of Vincent’s Smoke-Free Town Centres Project also includes e-cigarettes? E-cigarettes, used for vaping, are electronic devices that heat a liquid until it aerosolises. The user then inhales the aerosol into the lungs.

Contrary to common beliefs, e-cigarettes are not safe.

The City of Vincent is working to raise awareness about the risks of using e-cigarettes and vaping, especially amongst young people.

Eight facts about e-cigarettes

1. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, like cigarettes.
   Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. One e-cigarette can have as much nicotine as 50 cigarettes.
2. Using e-cigarettes can have negative impact on your health.
   E-cigarettes can expose people to nicotine, chemicals and toxins that can be linked to serious lung disease, depression, and anxiety. Less direct evidence indicates adverse effects of e-cigarettes on cardiovascular health markers, including blood pressure and heart rate, lung function and adolescent brain development and function.
3. E-cigarettes are often labelled incorrectly.
   Even when they claim not to contain nicotine, they may contain high levels of nicotine.
4. Young people are targeted.
   From fruity flavours to easy to conceal packaging, e-cigarettes have been designed to appeal to young people. Research shows that in WA, 13.5 per cent of school students aged 12 to 17 have tried an e-cigarette.
5. Selling e-cigarettes is illegal in WA.
   It is illegal in WA to sell e-cigarette devices and nicotine products unless they are prescribed by a doctor and obtained with a prescription from a pharmacy.
6. People who use e-cigarettes are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.
   Amongst young people, someone who uses e-cigarettes is three times as likely to start smoking cigarettes.
7. Using e-cigarettes does not necessarily help with quitting smoking.
   There is limited evidence that e-cigarettes are an effective aid for quitting smoking. Vaping is more likely to lead to greater long-term exposure to nicotine than quitting.
8. Second-hand vaping can also have risks.
   E-cigarettes emit an aerosol into the air which can expose the person vaping and bystanders to potentially dangerous substances.

What is in an e-cigarette

The liquid in an e-cigarette is not water.

When you inhale aerosol from an e-cigarette, you can be exposed to potentially harmful substances such as:

• acetone found in nail polish remover.
• acrolein found in weed killer.
• 2-cholorophenol found in cleaning products and bug spray.

Many e-cigarettes are incorrectly labelled as nicotine free when they do in fact contain nicotine on top of other chemicals.

How to quit vaping

Quitting vaping is similar than quitting smoking. You can read more about our advice on our dedicated page.

How to quit smoking or vaping 

More information and support

The City of Vincent's Fresh Air - You're Welcome project aims to reduce community exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and e-cigarettes, creating healthy environments, free from smoking and vaping in our entertainment precincts, and promote options available to a person looking to quit smoking or vaping.

You can find all the best tips to quit at Make Smoking History.

For more information or support, visit vincent.wa.gov.au/smokefree.

Sources

The-facts-about-vaping-for-parents-and-carers-Do-you-know-what-theyre-vaping.pdf (healthywa.wa.gov.au)

E-cigarettes and vaping (healthywa.wa.gov.au)

E-cigarettes health outcomes review summary brief (anu.edu.au)