Tobacco, Nicotine & Vaping
Vaping is not harmless.
E-cigarettes and vapes have become the #1 form of tobacco use among youth. The chemicals and nicotine they deliver can cause serious, lasting harm — especially in developing brains.
DID YOU KNOW? — LOCAL DATA Tobacco use among Prosser high schoolers dropped nearly 80% in under a decade.
From 2014 to 2023, the percentage of high school youth reporting past 30-day tobacco use fell from 9.2% to just 1.9% — a decrease of 79.2%. That's our community's prevention work showing up in real numbers.
Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1 IN 8
High school students currently use e-cigarettes
2× FASTER
Nicotine addiction develops more quickly in teens than adults
7000+
Chemicals in cigarette smoke, hundreds harmful
Tobacco FAQS Answers to Your Most Common Questions About Tobacco
While e-cigarettes may have fewer toxins than traditional cigarettes, they are not safe or harmless. They still deliver nicotine — which is highly addictive — and expose users to ultrafine particles, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds that can cause serious lung damage. For teens especially, there is no safe level of nicotine use.
Yes. Smokeless tobacco — including chewing tobacco and snuff — contains at least 28 cancer-causing chemicals and is strongly linked to oral, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers. It also causes gum disease and tooth loss, and is highly addictive due to its nicotine content.
Regular exposure to secondhand smoke is not that different from being a smoker yourself. You can experience significant health consequences from inhaling the smoke that comes from the end of a pipe or cigarette, or by breathing smoke exhaled by a smoker. In addition to risk for cancers throughout the body, people exposed to secondhand smoke are likelier to get sick more often, get more ear infections, and have respiratory or breathing problems.
Key Tobacco, Nicotine & Vaping FActs What Everyone Should Know About Tobacco & Vaping...
Nicotine Harms the Developing Brain
Using nicotine during adolescence can harm attention, learning, mood, and impulse control — effects that can last into adulthood.
Vaping Is the #1 Tobacco Product Used by Teens
E-cigarettes have surpassed traditional cigarettes among youth. Many come in flavors specifically designed to appeal to young people.
E-Cigarettes Are Not Just Water Vapor
Vape aerosol contains nicotine, ultrafine particles, heavy metals like lead and tin, and volatile organic compounds that damage the lungs.
Nicotine Use Increases Risk of Other Drug Use
Youth who use nicotine are more likely to try other substances. Nicotine primes the brain's reward system in ways that increase vulnerability to addiction.
Talking Early Makes a Difference
Parents who talk with their children about the risks of tobacco and vaping before they start are significantly more effective at preventing use.
Resources
Tobacco & Vaping
Campaigns we support
Warning signs of vaping in teens
sweet/fruity smellsIncreased thirstNosebleedsCoughing or wheezingMood changesUSB devices/pods
Rehabilitation & Treatment Resources Drug & Alcohol Treatment Near Prosser, WA
If you or someone you know is in need of treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, please contact one of the following organizations.
