• Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products.
• A recent CDC study found that 99% of the e-cigarettes sold in assessed venues in the United States contained nicotine.
• Some e-cigarette labels do not disclose that they contain nicotine, and some e-cigarettes marketed as containing 0% nicotine have been found to contain nicotine.
• Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain.¹ The brain keeps developing until about age 25.
• Using nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.¹
• Each time a new memory is created or a new skill is learned, stronger connections – or synapses – are built between brain cells. Young people’s brains build synapses faster than adult brains. Nicotine changes the way these synapses are formed.
• Using nicotine in adolescence may also increase risk for future addiction to other drugs.¹