Our offices will be closed for the holidays on Dec. 24 & 25, and on Dec. 31 & Jan. 1. If you need immediate help for addiction, please visit our Get Help Now page for links to hotlines and treatment providers.
The Be Clever Vape Never Campaign was developed with assistance from our LEAP: Teen Prevention Coalition.
Vaping is not cool and harmless.
Don’t be fooled by colorful packaging and sweet flavors. Vapes are not just water vapor. They contain nicotine which is highly addictive and other harmful chemicals that can also cause serious health problems including lung damage and even cancer.
As a teenager, you have the power to make your own choices.
Don’t let vaping companies or peer pressure control your decisions. Make the smart choice and choose to never vape.
Your future self will thank you.
In the 2021 Pennsylvania Youth survey, less than half (53%) of the Berks County middle and high school students surveyed said they had vaped nicotine in the past year.
Vapes and other e-cigarettes are not just water vapor. They usually contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. They also may contain flavorings and other chemicals that can harm the lungs.
Source: CDC.gov: Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults
Source: CDC.gov: Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults
Nicotine addiction can be a source of stress. What’s more, vaping has been associated with mental health conditions, such as depression, while quitting smoking has been tied to lower levels of anxiety, depression and stress.
Source: CDC.gov :Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults
Teens are especially sensitive to nicotine’s addictive effects because their brains are still developing, which makes it easier to get hooked. Using nicotine while your brain is still developing can also make you more vulnerable to becoming addicted to other drugs, and can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
Sources: Smokefree.gov, The Risks of Tobacco/Nicotine Addiction
CDC.gov :Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults
Because nicotine is so addictive, quitting often results in withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, cravings, anxiety, difficulties sleeping and concentrating. People often keep using nicotine products to help relieve these symptoms.
Sources: Smokefree.gov, The Risks of Tobacco/Nicotine Addiction
CDC.gov: Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults
You’re not alone. There are many resources available to help teens quit smoking or vaping.
Smoke Free Teen Tools for Quitting Find text message programs, apps, online chats, hotlines and more to help to help teens quit nicotine products.
Truth Initiative: This is Quitting: Text-based program to help young people quit vaping
My Life My Quit: Free and confidential resources to help Pennsylvania teens quit smoking or vaping.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: Get facts and basic information on vaping
Berks Teen Prevention Coalition: Join COCA’s Teen Prevention Coalition to take action in your community. Open to all Berks County teens.
Tobacco Resistance Unit (TRU): Be part of a movement of PA youth helping to advocate for tobacco control issues.
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: Youth can advocate for change against big tobacco companies.
