Using tobacco and vaping can have serious health impacts on your life. There are also environmental impacts to consider as well.
Tobacco is a native plant found originally in the Americas. It has been considered sacred by many Aboriginal peoples and used in its natural form in ritual, prayer and ceremonies. These are considered traditional, ancestral and ceremonial uses of tobacco and do not make people sick.
Non-traditional or commercial uses of tobacco includes smoking (cigarettes, hookahs, cigars, pipe), using it in your mouth (chewing tobacco, pouches), or inhaling it (snuff). Because of how it is processed and consumed, these forms of tobacco have many other harmful substances, which can cause serious health problems, especially when burned. Tobacco contains nicotine, which is an addictive substance that makes quitting commercial tobacco very difficult for some people.
Vaping is the use of an electronic device to heat a substance (usually a vaping liquid, or “juice”) into an aerosol (a.k.a. vapour or cloud) and then inhaled into the lungs. Vaping products have either nicotine or cannabis, which are absorbed by the mouth and lungs in this process. The devices come in various shapes and sizes, can be rechargeable, refillable or disposable.
Although vaping is thought to be less harmful than smoking, it is not harmless. The “vapour” contain chemicals and heavy metals that can harm a person’s airways and lungs and cause other health problems. Nicotine, present in vapes, can also cause addiction and affect brain development. Research is still underway to discover how vaping can affect people’s health in the long term.
The tobacco and vaping companies (often the same corporations) use aggressive marketing tactics that target racial and ethnic minorities, low-income populations and young people. In the past, tobacco companies have been known to not tell the whole truth about the true adverse health effects of their products. For example, despite knowing the truth, they denied the link between smoking and diseases, and the addictiveness of nicotine.
Today, many tobacco companies promote vaping and heat-not-burn products as a harm reduction strategy for adults in developed countries like Canada, saying they are changing their approach. Meanwhile, they continue to promote and profit from smoking, especially in developing countries. They have also been confronted for using marketing strategies that attract young people to use these products.
Using tobacco* or vaping can harm your health and others around you. Learn more about how these products can affect you.
*the use of tobacco in this section does not refer to Aboriginal traditional, ancestral and ceremonial uses
Nicotine is a highly addictive substance found in vaping and tobacco products. People who consume nicotine-containing products often need to increase the amount of nicotine they use to feel the same effects. Eventually they may experience withdrawal symptoms like cravings, changes in mood, headaches and trouble sleeping.
The amount or frequency of using nicotine needed to become dependent varies from one person to another. However, we know that the earlier someone starts using nicotine, the higher their chances are of becoming dependent. Nicotine dependence appears in the form of cravings, feeling like you need it to go about your day, and finding it difficult to resist using it. Some factors that affect a person’s chances to become dependent on nicotine are:
The effects of smoking commercial tobacco have been studied for decades. Therefore, we know a lot about its health impacts. Other than nicotine addiction, we know that over time smoking can cause:
It also increase the chances of developing:
Other tobacco products can cause health problems and be just as addictive as smoking. Using smokeless tobacco can lead to:
Many things are not known about vaping because it is a relatively new invention. What we do know is that for people that are already smoking, vaping seems to be less harmful to their physical health. However, vaping is not harmless and also creates a high risk for nicotine addiction. Here are some of the health concerns related to vaping:
Smoking around other people or in closed spaces also affects their health.
Second-hand smoke (smoke in the same air) is harmful to people, especially babies and children.
Non-smoking adults who are exposed to second-hand smoke have higher chances of developing:
Babies and children who are exposed to second-hand smoke get sick more often and have more:
Third-hand smoke (smoke that stays in surfaces like clothing, furniture, carpeting, walls, etc.) exposes people to nicotine and many harmful chemicals as well. Children are more at risk because they may be crawling or putting objects in their mouths. Opening windows, using fans, smoking in just one room and regular cleaning do not remove third-hand smoke well enough. To protect others around you:
Want to learn more about protecting your child from tobacco and vaping?
Commercial tobacco has a huge impact on our environment and on climate change - from the water, land and energy used to produce it, to toxic litter in our environment, polluting land and water, and damaging entire ecosystems. Nicotine in vaping products is mostly extracted from tobacco leaves. Therefore, vaping products also contribute to tobacco production. Only a few companies use synthetic nicotine.
People who smoke may also be more vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as smoke from wildfires, because smoking leads to many diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Staying smoke and vape free not only reduces your environmental footprint but also helps you stay healthy and cope better with climate issues.
Explore our tobacco and vaping hub for specific information for teens, families, schools, health professionals and local governments.
The best way to protect yourself from the harms of these products is to stay tobacco and vapour free or quit as soon as possible. For people who choose to use tobacco and vaping products and those who are not ready to quit, here are some ways to minimize the health risks of these products:
Check out these seven tips to lower your risk when using nicotine
Our Tobacco & Vaping Reduction Team protects the public from the harms of tobacco use, vaping, second- and third-hand smoke. We work with communities, First Nations, school districts, health professionals, and community partners to prevent and reduce tobacco use and vaping. Contact us via email for more information or questions.
