Vaping
âVaping is when you use a handheld electronic device to breathe a mist (âvaporâ) into your lungs,â according to the Cleveland Clinic. âItâs similar to smoking a cigarette, but vaping heats tiny particles out of a liquid rather than burning tobacco.â The devices themselves are officially named electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) but are also called e-cigarettes, vapes, vape pens, vape sticks, e-hookahs, mods, and pods. [52] [59]
Anatomy of a vape
Vapes themselves usually consist of the following:
- Vaping liquid (also called âe-liquidâ or âvape juiceâ)
- Either a refillable tank or pod that holds the liquid or, for single-use vapes, an absorbent wick made of foam material soaked in the vaping liquid (the reservoirs for the liquid generally being plastic tubes with silicone end caps)
- A heating element that is embedded in one of the caps of the liquid reservoir
- A battery, usually lithium-ion or lithium-polymer
- A mouthpiece
- An air-pressure sensor that triggers the heating element when someone inhales (âtakes a dragâ) through the mouthpiece
Some older vapes may have a power button instead of a pressure sensor to ignite the heating element. [51]
Vaping liquid generally contains propylene glycol and glycerin to create the mist. These chemicals are also used in artificial smoke and fog, paint solvents, and antifreeze. When heated, they break down into the carcinogensâsubstances that promote the development of cancerâformaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Also, most vaping liquids contain flavoring ingredients and nicotine (even when marked âno nicotine,â according to the American Lung Association). [45] [52] [53]
Nicotine is the ingredient that makes vaping so addictive. It is also used as a pesticide and veterinary drug to rid animals of parasitic worms (anthelmintic). According to EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica,
Nicotine is the chief addictive ingredient in the tobacco used in cigarettes, cigars, and snuff. In its psychoactive effects, nicotine is a unique substance with a biphasic effect; when inhaled in short puffs it has a stimulant effect, but when smoked in deep drags it can have a tranquilizing effect. This is why smoking can feel invigorating at some times and can seem to block stressful stimuli at others. Nicotine is also an addictive drug, though, and smokers characteristically display a strong tendency to relapse after having successfully stopped smoking for a time. When ingested in larger doses, nicotine is a highly toxic poison that causes vomiting and nausea, headaches, stomach pains, and, in severe cases, convulsions, paralysis, and death. [54]
In vapes the nicotine is contained in the liquid. When heated, the liquid creates an aerosol (also erroneously called âvaporâ) that is then inhaled via the mouthpiece. Additionally, heating the vaping liquid creates toxic chemicals that form particulates in the aerosol. These harmful particles are then inhaled into the throat and lungs. Chemicals and metals that have been found in vapes include:
- The herbicide acrolein
- The flavoring diacetyl, which is linked to lung disease, specifically popcorn lung
- Diethylene glycol, an industrial solvent found in antifreeze and brake fluid
- Vitamin E acetate, which is linked to e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI)
- Toxic metals such as cadmium, which causes breathing problems
While most vapes are nicotine-based, vaping marijuana is also popular because, as NPR science desk correspondent Yuki Noguchi notes, âvaping weed is relatively odorless and discreet, compared to smoking dried marijuana flower.â In addition to the concerns that accompany nicotine vapes, marijuana vapes concentrate tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in marijuana. Any pesticides that were used on the marijuana plants also get concentrated during processing. Meanwhile, synthetic THC production creates toxic residuesâincluding one similar to sulfuric acidâthat can also find their way into vape liquid. [44]
Risks of vaping
Many medical experts consider vaping to be extremely harmful. As mentioned above, nicotine is incredibly addictive, and it can also impair brain development in young people, raise blood pressure, narrow arteries, increase depression and anxiety, cause mood swings, decrease attention spans, and increase learning difficulties, among other concerns. [48] [52]
Furthermore, vaping (inhaling aerosol into the lungs) can cause EVALI, a sometimes-fatal lung condition that causes coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Eye irritation, headache, dry mouth, nausea, oral bacteria changes, oral inflammation and infection, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, lung scarring (bronchiolitis obliterans, also called popcorn lung), hard-metal pneumoconiosis, asthma, and cancer can also be caused by vaping. [52] [54]
Marijuana vapes come with the additional risk of marijuana-induced psychosis (a serious medical condition in which a THC user experiences hallucinations, delusional thinking, and paranoia and loses touch with reality), especially because the THC concentration in vapes can be 95 percent or higher, while the average smoked cannabis flower contains about 18 percent. Furthermore, THC vapes purchased from illicit sellers have a high likelihood of extra contaminants. Vaping marijuana also puts young people particularly at risk of addiction because concentrated THC can alter the still-developing prefrontal cortexâresponsible for impulse control and decision-makingâand hippocampus. [44] [97]
Vaping to quit smoking and other tobacco use
About 1.2 billion adults used tobacco globally in 2022 (per a 2024 WHO report), with about 80 percent of users living in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco use, while declining, is still an epidemic, especially in the Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman, and Moldova, where tobacco use rates are rising. [43]
âThe e-cigarette was invented in 2003 by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, who initially developed the device to serve as an alternative to conventional smoking,â according to physician and public health advocate Bechara Choucair and editors at EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica. Vapes hit the United States market in 2006, hailed as a tool to quit smoking. Since then, vaping has been marketed as a âsaferâ alternative to smoking cigarettes as well as a cessation device similar to the gum, patches, and lozenges used in nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). While vaping is demonstrably not safe, the theory is that vaping could be the lesser of two evils in the effort to wean people off of cigarettes and other tobacco products. [25] [30] [59]
The idea mimics harm reduction practices used for illicit drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine, including overdose prevention sites, naloxone kits, and needle exchange sites (among other aids) to reduce overdose deaths and prevent the spread of HIV, hepatitis, and other communicable diseases. While harm reduction doesnât address the drug addiction directly, other dangers are minimized. [27] [43]
But there is intense debate about whether vapes can effectively be used for harm reduction to minimize nicotine addiction. The World Health Organization (WHO) is adamantly against the idea and blames the tobacco industry for the rise in vape use. Many others agree that the only way to stop tobacco use is to simply stop tobacco use, rather than replacing tobacco products with an equally addictive nicotine alternative. [30]
Because of the addictive quality of nicotine vapes, former smokers may continue to vape for years, which means that the intervention to quit smoking may have only worked to swap dependencies while supporting long-term nicotine use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that âquitting vaping is likely similar to quitting smoking because both involve nicotine addiction and quitting may lead to withdrawal symptoms.â [14] [28]
The American Heart Association (AHA) does not recommend vaping as an aid to quit smoking and notes that most smokers who try to use vaping as a cessation aid simply become dual users. The AHA concluded bluntly, âThe science clearly indicates vaping is not a safe or healthy alternative to smoking.â [73]
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any vape as a tool to help quit smoking. By May 5, 2026, the FDA authorized only 45 vapes for sale in the United States. [15] [28]
Vape and vaping regulation
The FDA attempted to regulate vapes in 2008, about two years after vapes were introduced in the U.S. market. According to Joshua M. Sharfstein, professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, this decision was taken âon the grounds that they appeared to be unapproved medical devices designed to deliver the drug nicotine.â [25] [26]
The vape industry struck back, saying vapes were basically cigarettes that the FDA could not regulate without additional congressional legislation and prevailed. In his ruling, District Court Judge Richard Leon stated that he was ânot convinced that the threat to the public interest in general or to third parties in particular is as great as FDA suggestsâ and scolded the FDA for âits tenacious drive to maximize its regulatory power.â [26]
In 2009 Pres. Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which authorizes the FDA to regulate cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco products. A rule that went into effect on August 8, 2016, gave the FDA authority over all nicotine and tobacco products, which includes vapes. [21] [23]
For information on the FDAâs actions on vapes and vaping, see below Timeline: FDA Actions on Vapes.
Additionally, nearly all U.S. states have regulations on where vaping can and cannot occur. Plus, over a dozen states have bans on selling flavored vapes and vapes online. Most countries also have vaping regulations. See below U.S. State Vaping Regulations and International Vaping Bans. [60]
Who vapes?
Recent data from the CDC shows that vaping among adults rose from 3.7 percent in 2020 to 4.5 percent in 2021 to 6.5 percent in 2023. [42] [94]
The use of vapes among adults followed a few trends between 2019 and 2023:
- More men (7.6 percent) than women (5.5 percent) vape.
- More 21â24-year-olds (15.5 percent) vape than adults of any other age group.
- Vape use is higher among those with less education, lower incomes, and no health insurance.
- Vape use is higher in the LGBTQ+ community.
Of adults who vaped in 2021, 29.4 percent also smoked cigarettes, with dual use being especially common among adults 45 years and older (42.7 percent). Meanwhile, 61.4 percent of 18â24-year-olds who vaped reported that they had never smoked cigarettes. According to data collected between 2016 and 2018 as part of a Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study, most adults who vaped wanted to quit (60.8 percent), while 15 percent of adults tried to quit in the preceding year. [94]
Kids, teens, and vaping
âWe see use rates [of e-cigarettes] among children nine times higher than among adults,â says Benn McGrady of WHO. âThe latest data that we have shows there are 15 million children worldwide using e-cigarettes.â [30]
In 2024 the CDC found that in the United States, middle- and high-school students were more likely to vape than to use any other tobacco product. That includes 3.5 percent of middle-school students (about 410,000) and 7.8 percent of high-school students (about 1.21 million). [95]
Of those students 43.6 percent reported current vape use, 38.4 percent had vaped on 20 of the preceding 30 days, and 26.3 percent vaped daily. Students preferred using flavored vapes (87.6 percent) and disposable vapes (55.6 percent). In a reversal from adult use, vaping was more prevalent among female than male students. Data also showed that 36.6 percent of high-school students and 38.9 percent of middle-school students indulged in dual use. And, in 2016, 30.6 percent of U.S. middle- and high-school students who had ever used an e-cigarette said they had vaped marijuana. [95]
The CDC argues that youth vaping is caused by tobacco advertising, availability of flavored products, social influences, and, of course, the addictiveness of nicotine. [20]
The New York Times journalist Jeneen Interlandi explained in 2019:
The tobacco industry is pushing a new kind of smoking deviceâthe e-cig or vape penâthat it says is far healthier than traditional cigarettes: no tobacco, no tar, just nicotine and flavored vapor. These devices, the industry says, will finally help us adult smokers quit or curb our habit. But hereâs the rub: E-cigs have brought smoking back into vogue for teenagers. As a result, the cost of this new cure may be another generation exposed to the same addiction we are still fighting. [19]
American schools began an initiative to reduce teen vaping by installing vape detectors during the 2022â23 school year. Legal settlements against Juul Labs worth $1.7 billion helped provide the funds to buy the detectors, which look like smoke detectors. The devices send an email or text to school officials if vape aerosol is detected, whether tobacco or marijuana. Costing about $1,000 each, the detectors can be integrated into security cameras in hallways, and they also note loud noises or any tampering with the detectors. They proved successful in many schools. Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska, for example, installed the detectors in a high school in October 2023 and quickly received 100 notifications of vaping. By December the number of alerts had dropped to 4. [72]
Pros and Cons at a Glance
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Pro 1: Vaping can help adults quit smoking cigarettes. Read More. | Con 1: Vaping has serious health risks. Read More. |
| Pro 2: Vaping is a safer way to ingest nicotine than smoking cigarettes. Read More. | Con 2: Vapes can catch fire and explode. Read More. |
| Pro 3: Vaping can lower health care costs. Read More. | Con 3: Disposable vapes are bad for the environment. Read More. |
Pro Arguments
(Go to Con Arguments)Pro 1: Vaping can help adults quit smoking cigarettes.
The United Kingdomâs National Health Service (NHS) states plainly, âNicotine vaping is less harmful than smoking. Itâs also one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.â [13]
Smoking a single cigarette takes 17 minutes off a manâs life and 22 minutes off a womanâs, according to a 2024 study. Male smokers smoked an average of 11.5 cigarettes per day, female smokers an average of 9.5. In just one week thatâs almost a full day shaved off for a male smoker and a little more than a full day for a female smoker. Quitting smoking is imperative for a personâs health. [66]
âWe know that there are millions of smokers out there who successfully stopped smoking by switching to vaping,â says Peter Hajek, a public health researcher at Queen Mary University of London. He coauthored a study that found âe-cigarettes were significantly more effective than nicotine replacement treatment,â such as a nicotine patch or gum. [10] [14]
Hajekâs 2019 study of 886 smokers found that 18 percent of those who used vapes to quit smoking remained smoke-free a year later, compared with 9.9 percent of those who used another NRT. However, 80 percent of the vapers were still vaping after a year, compared with 9 percent of those who used other NRTs. And, while data is still being collected and analyzed about long-term vaping, we already know vaping also has serious health risks, but many consider them the lesser of two evils compared with smoking. [14] [52]
Pro 2: Vaping is a safer way to ingest nicotine than smoking cigarettes.
Nicotine is highly addictive and extraordinarily difficult to quit. Vapes, while still containing nicotine, are widely considered less harmful than cigarettes.
âCombustible cigarettes are the most harmful form of nicotine delivery,â according to Matthew Carpenter, codirector of the Tobacco Research Program at the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center. Traditional cigarettes are known to cause health problems such as lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Tobacco useâof which smoking is the most common formâis responsible for over seven million deaths each year, and it is the top cause of preventable death worldwide. [17]
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found conclusive evidence that switching to e-cigarettes reduces exposure to toxicants and carcinogens. Burning a traditional cigarette releases noxious gases such as carbon monoxide. Cigarette smoke contains tar, which accounts for most of the carcinogens associated with smoking. E-cigarettes donât have those gases or tar. [11] [12]
Moreover, e-cigarettes are safer for indoor use. Researchers found that the level of nicotine on surfaces in the homes of e-cigarette users was 169 times lower than in the homes of traditional cigarette smokers. Nicotine left behind on surfaces can turn into carcinogens. The amount of nicotine found where vapers live was similar to the trace amounts found in the homes of nonsmokers. [1] [18]
Pro 3: Vaping can lower health care costs.
Sally Satel, a psychiatrist specializing in addiction and a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, explains:
Promoting electronic cigarettes to smokers should be a public health priority. Given that the direct medical costs of smoking are estimated to be more than $130 billion per year, along with $150 billion annually in productivity losses from premature deaths, getting more smokers to switch would result in significant cost savingsâas well as almost half a million lives saved each year. [22]
According to 2018 CDC data, smoking cost Americans over $240 billion in health care expenses, almost $185 billion in lost productivity caused by smoking-related health concerns, almost $180 billion in lost productivity from smoking-related deaths, and about $7 billion in secondhand smoke exposure deaths. [96]
Plus, according to a 2012 study, the harm reduction from smokers switching to vaping could save $48 billion in annual Medicaid spending. [24]
Con Arguments
(Go to Pro Arguments)Con 1: Vaping has serious health risks.
James H. Stein, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, says, âCommon sense tells youâyour mom would tell youâthat a superheated chemical inhaling right into your lungs isnât going to be good.â [29]
People who use e-cigarettes have a 71 percent increased risk of stroke and a 40 percent higher risk of heart disease, as compared with nonusers. Studies have shown that e-cigarettes can cause arterial stiffness and cardiovascular harm and may increase the odds of a heart attack by 42 percent. According to the CDC, by February 2020 there were 2,807 e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI) cases leading to hospitalization, with 68 deaths. [31] [32] [33] [47] [69]
Vapingâs effect on the lungs is especially troubling. Vaping can cause âpopcorn lungâ (bronchiolitis obliterans, which damages the lungsâ small airways and causes scar tissue buildup), lipoid pneumonia (which inflames and fills the lungsâ small air sacs with fats and oils), and primary spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung in someone without a known lung condition). [71]
Moreover, e-cigarettes leak toxic metals, possibly from the heating coils, that are associated with health problems such as kidney disease, respiratory irritation, shortness of breath, and more. Some ingredients in the liquids used in e-cigarettes change composition when they are heated, leading to inhalation of harmful compounds such as formaldehyde, which is carcinogenic. Vaping can also disturb fertility rates and the reproductive process. Furthermore, vaping aerosol contains nicotine, formaldehyde, and metals, which can harm bystanders who inhale vape fumes secondhand. [34] [35] [70] [75]
Vape liquids often have ingredients that enhance nicotine absorption and thus increase addiction, so vaping may be a gateway to smoking or, even worse, dual use of vapes and cigarettes. Cardiologist Michael Joseph Blaha explains,
What I find most concerning about the rise of vaping is that people who wouldâve never smoked otherwise, especially youth, are taking up the habitâŠ.Itâs one thing if you convert from cigarette smoking to vaping. Itâs quite another thing to start up nicotine use with vaping. And, getting hooked on nicotine often leads to using traditional tobacco products down the road. [8] [9]
Con 2: Vapes can catch fire and explode.
The lithium batteries used in vapes can catch fire and explode, most often because of thermal runaway, which is a series of chemical reactions that creates oxygen and an uncontrollable self-heating state in vapes. According to a study published in 2018, vapes generally catch fire and explode while stored in pockets, though they have exploded while being held. The explosions have caused second- and third-degree burns to thighs, hands, genitals, and the face. Of 164 cases of vape explosion burns, 48 patients required skin grafts. [6] [7]
An article published in Tobacco Control in 2019 found that 2,035 people sought emergency room treatment for burn or explosion injuries from e-cigarettes between 2015 and 2017 and claimed there were likely more injuries that went untreated. [36] [37]
The Transportation Security Administration prohibits e-cigarettes in checked baggage because of the flammability of vapesâ lithium batteries, while cigarettes and disposable and Zippo lighters without fuel are allowed in checked baggage. In January 2019 a passengerâs e-cigarette overheated and caught fire in the airplane cabin. That same month a Texas man died when debris from an e-cigarette explosion tore his carotid artery. In 2025 an Alabama womanâs vape exploded while she was driving, turning her car into what she described as a âfireballâ that left her with significant physical and mental injuries. [38] [39] [40] [74]
Between 2009 and 2016, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) found 195 reports of e-cigarette explosions and fires resulting in 133 acute injuries, of which 29 percent were severe. As the USFA explained, âNo other consumer product that is typically used so close to the human body contains the lithium-ion battery that is the root cause of the incidents.â [41]
Furthermore, Lucas Gutterman and Faye Park of the U.S. PIRG Education Fund estimate that fires caused by disposable vapes in waste facilities cost $95 million annually in âemergency response, infrastructure damage, insurance losses, operational disruptions, and increased ratepayer [utility customer] liability.â [5]
Con 3: Disposable vapes are bad for the environment.
In the United States alone, 5.7 disposable vapes were discarded per second in 2023. Thatâs almost 500,000 per day. Lucas Gutterman and Faye Park of the U.S. PIRG Education Fund explain:
To visualize this waste: lining-up the disposable vapes sold in 2023 would stretch for 8,772 milesâlong enough to span the contiguous United States three times and over 1,700 miles more than the data from the 2022 edition of this report. Their plastic cases will persist in our environment for hundreds of years, creating a permanent pollution legacy. [5]
Vapes should not be thrown in the normal trash because they contain e-waste. But they are also impossible to recycle in the U.S. because of the mixed materials (glass, metal, and plastic) and toxic ingredients. As noted by the Truth Initiative:
Disposable e-cigarettes specifically contain multiple types of waste: hazardous waste from residual nicotine, heavy metals from the vaporizerâs electrical circuitry, lithium batteries, residual e-liquid, and plastic waste from a non-decomposable outer shell and packaging materials. [4]
The toxic litter from disposable vapes can be ingested by animals and kids, can leach into soil and water supplies, and can start fires. Cigarette butts, on the other hand, can be recycled for free through TerraCycle. [2] [3]
And so, waste from disposable vapes is environmentally significant because each discarded vape combines persistent plastic, toxic residual chemicals, lithium-battery fire risk, and hard-to-recycle mixed materials into a form of e-waste that can pollute soil and water while also endangering wildlife and waste systems.
U.S. state and territory vaping regulations
As of December 20, 2019, the federal T21 law prohibits the sale of nicotine e-cigarettes and e-liquids to anyone under 21 years old, with no exceptions. Additionally, each state has laws that pertain to vaping products that may be more restrictive.
States may also levy taxes against vape products on top of sales taxes and may even require special retail licenses to sell them. Furthermore, states may require that certain vape products be packaged in a way that protects children. Specific counties, cities, and towns may also have more restrictive vaping ordinances.
The table below is not comprehensive or intended as use for legal advice. Please consult local and state law.
| state or territory | smoke-free restrictions | non-sales tax | retail license required for sales | packaging requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, âU.S. E-cigarette Regulationsâ50 State Reviewâ (June 15, 2025), publichealthcenter.org. | ||||
| Alabama | Emergency medical providers may not vape while in an ambulance or while caring for a patient. Vaping is banned on day care property (including vehicles used to carry children). Vaping is banned in enclosed vehicles when a child 14 or younger is present. | no | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Alaska | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned in foster homes and vehicles used to transport children. | no | yes | none |
| American Samoa | none | no | no | none |
| Arizona | Vaping is banned in foster homes and vehicles used to transport children. Vaping is banned in state-owned vehicles. | no | no | none |
| Arkansas | Vaping is banned on school and child care facility grounds, in school vehicles, at off-campus school events, and at health care facilities. Vaping is banned on state college and university campuses. Vaping is banned within 25 feet of state park buildings and enclosed structures. Visitors may not bring vaping products to prisons or other correctional facilities. Vaping is banned in foster homes and in the presence of foster children. | no | yes | E-liquid containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging (except prefilled and sealed cartridges). |
| California | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited with some exceptions. Vaping is banned for students on school property and at off-campus events. Vaping is banned in all county and school district education offices, buildings, and vehicles. Landlords may ban vaping in residences. | yes | yes | E-cigarette cartridges and solutions for filling e-cigarettes must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Colorado | Vaping is restricted similarly to smoking. Vaping is banned on school and day care property and vehicles. Vaping is banned while taking a driving test. Vaping is banned in foster homes while a child is in placement. | yes | yes | none |
| Connecticut | Vaping is banned in state buildings, platforms and shelters at public transit stations, health care institutions, retail food stores, restaurants, liquor stores, bars (except smoking sections of outdoor seating areas), school buildings and grounds, childcare facilities and grounds thereof, elevators, college dormitories, racetracks, and hotel and motel rooms. | yes | yes | Shipments of vaping products must be specifically labeled and signed by someone 21 or older at the time of shipping. |
| Delaware | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned in licensed family childcare homes. Vaping is banned in foster homes and all vehicles used to transport children. Youth camps must ban vaping in outdoor play areas, while transporting children, and in the presence of children on field trips. | yes | No license is required to sell e-cigarettes, but a license is required to sell e-liquid. | none |
| Florida | Vaping is banned in closed indoor workplaces except private residences (unless being used as a health care facility). Vaping by anyone under 21 is banned within 1,000 feet of a school between 6 am and midnight. Vaping is banned in Sixth Judicial Circuit courthouses and within 50 feet of entrances. Vaping by firefighters is banned in their places of employment. Vaping is banned in licensed out-of-home caregiving facilities and in vehicles when children are present. Vapes are banned in some detention facilities. | no | yes | Shipping documents of vaping products must clearly state that the package contains nicotine products, which cannot be shipped to anyone under age 21. |
| Georgia | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned by food service workers at work except in designated areas. âKnowing useâ of vape products is banned in school safety zones. | yes | yes | none |
| Guam | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. | no | yes | none |
| Hawaii | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned in state parks. Vaping is banned on all Hawaii Health Systems Corporation property. Vaping is banned on all University of Hawaii property. | yes | yes | none |
| Idaho | Vaping is prohibited in all places where smoking is banned. | no | yes | Electronic smoking devices must be sold in a manufacturerâs sealed package with all required warnings. |
| Illinois | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Use of vapes containing nicotine is banned on all state college and university campuses and any building or structure in the Capitol Complex. | yes | yes | E-liquid must be sold in child-resistant packaging. Vapes must be sold in the original manufacturerâs packaging. |
| Indiana | none | yes | yes | Nicotine liquid and gels must be sold in child-resistant packaging. Manufacturers must use e-liquid containers with tamper-evident packaging and a child-resistant cap. |
| Iowa | Vaping is banned in state-owned and state-operated buildings and grounds, with the exception of privately owned buildings on Capitol Complex property. Vaping is banned on Iowa State University and University of Iowa campuses. Vaping is banned in foster homes and vehicles when a foster child is present. Vaping is banned in cars carrying food orders placed through food delivery platforms. | no | yes | none |
| Kansas | none | yes | yes | none |
| Kentucky | Vaping is banned on all properties owned or operated by the Kentucky executive branch, including vehicles, health care facilities, veteransâ facilities, state parks and fairgrounds, and state highway rest areas. Vaping is banned in the courtrooms and hallways of Hardin District Court and the Christian County Justice Center. Vaping is banned on school property (including vehicles) and on all school trips and activities (except in designated outdoor areas of secondary schools). Vapes are banned from underground mines. Childcare professionals are banned from vaping in the presence of a child. Vaping is banned at tattoo and piercing work stations. Vaping is banned at public swimming and bathing facilities and local government-run splash pads. | yes | yes | none |
| Louisiana | Vaping is banned on all school property. Vaping is banned in vehicles when a child under 13 is present. | yes | yes | none |
| Maine | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Maryland | Vaping is banned where smoking is prohibited under the stateâs clean indoor air law. | yes | yes | none |
| Massachusetts | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned on all school property, including vehicles, and at school-sponsored events. Nursing homes must have vape-free areas in common areas. No employee may vape in any patient area. Vaping is banned at licensed recreational children camps. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. Vapes packaged together may not be opened and repackaged in smaller quantities. |
| Michigan | Vaping is banned in the Third Judicial Circuit Court. Vaping is banned on all childcare center property and in homes and vehicles when used for childcare operations. Vaping is banned on streetcars and in street railway stations. | no | no | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Minnesota | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. | yes | yes | Liquid containers, whether or not they contain nicotine, must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Mississippi | none | no | no | none |
| Missouri | Vaping is restricted to designated areas of public buildings and grounds occupied by state agencies. Vaping is banned in school buildings and buses, with exceptions. Vaping is banned in foster homes, in the presence of foster children, and in cars transporting foster children. | no | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Montana | Vaping is banned on public school property. | no | yes | none |
| Nebraska | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. | yes | yes | none |
| Nevada | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned in the work areas of all âinvasive body decoration establishments.â | yes | yes | Items being shipped must be clearly marked âtobacco products,â âvapor products,â or ânicotine products,â as applicable. |
| New Hampshire | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned on âpublic educational facilityâ grounds. | yes | yes | Vapes and liquid nicotine must be sold in original packaging. |
| New Jersey | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Childrenâs group homes must ban vaping by children and sales of vaping products to children by staff. Vaping is banned in the Atlantic City International Airport. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| New Mexico | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Use, possession, and distribution of vaping products are banned on school property and by students at school-sponsored activities. Vaping is banned in childcare facilities and vehicles used to transport children. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. Vapes and liquid nicotine must be sold in original packaging. |
| New York | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned on Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority property. Vaping is restricted on properties of Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, Syracuse Regional Airport, Long Island Railroad Company, Metro-North Commuter Railroad, Staten Island Rapid Transit Authority, and NYC Transit. Vaping is restricted to designated areas of the Hudson River Park. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. Manufacturers must publish detailed information about each product, including a list of ingredients, potential health effects of each, and by-products that may be produced in the vapor during normal use. |
| North Carolina | Vaping is banned at childcare centers. Vaping is banned at family childcare homes. Sale, distribution, and use of vaping products are banned in state correctional facilities. Vaping is banned on school property and at school-sponsored events. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging, and all nicotine products must state that they contain nicotine. |
| North Dakota | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned in foster homes when the foster child is present. | no | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. | yes | yes | none |
| Ohio | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned in capitol buildings. Vaping is banned on the University of Cincinnati, Cuyahoga Community College, Wright State University, Kent State University, and the University of Akron campuses. Vaping is banned in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. Assisted living providers are banned from vaping while providing care. Vaping is banned in body art establishment rooms used for body art or sterilization procedures. | yes | yes | Nicotine products must be sold in the same minimum quantities as the manufacturerâs container. |
| Oklahoma | Vaping is banned on school property, at school events, and in school vehicles. Vaping is banned on properties owned, leased, or contracted for use by the state, including buildings, land, and vehicles, with exceptions for those living in Veterans Affairs residential facilities while on facility grounds. Vaping is banned in the parts of the Capitol Building assigned to the House. Vaping is banned in body piercing and tattoo parlors. | no | no | none |
| Oregon | Vaping is banned in public places of employment, in jury rooms, in most hotel rooms, in childcare facilities and vehicles while children are passengers, and within 10 feet of entrances, exits, windows, and ventilation intakes. Vaping is banned in hospitals and within 10 feet of a door, window, or ventilation intake. Vaping is banned in cars in which people under the age of 18 are present. Vaping is banned in state vehicles. | yes | yes | All vaping products must be appropriately labeled and sold in child-resistant packaging that is not attractive to minors. |
| Pennsylvania | Vaping is banned in schools, in school vehicles, and on school property. Possession and use of vaping products are banned in surface and underground areas of coal mines. | yes | yes | Vaping products must be sold in the original manufacturerâs packaging without modification or alteration. |
| Puerto Rico | Vaping is banned in public places. | yes | no | Nicotine cartridges must display the volume of nicotine solution. |
| Rhode Island | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. | yes | yes | Vaping products must be sold in the original manufacturerâs packaging. Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| South Carolina | Vaping is banned within 20 feet of an ambulance or anything in which oxygen is carried. Schools must ban vaping in and on school property and at school events. Vaping is banned in child residential care facility vehicles. | no | no | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging, with warnings displayed as prescribed by federal regulation. |
| South Dakota | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Department of Corrections policy bans e-cigarette use on all state-owned or state-leased properties. | no | no | Vaping products must be sold in the original manufacturerâs packaging. |
| Tennessee | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned in all places where children are allowed in childcare facilities. Vaping is banned in all community rooms used for childrenâs activities and in group care homes, health care facilities, museums, schools, school grounds, residential treatment facilities for children and youth, youth development centers, and zoos. Vaping is banned at Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville Student Housing, and within and on the grounds of Austin Peay State University. Vaping is banned at Sullivan County courts. | yes | no | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Texas | Vaping is restricted to designated areas of schools, elevators, enclosed theaters, libraries, museums, hospitals, certain buses, planes, and trains. Schools must ban possession and use of vapes by students on school grounds and at school-sponsored events. Vaping is banned at school and before and after school programs, including on playgrounds, in vehicles, and on field trips. | no | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Virgin Islands | none | yes | yes | Vaping products must be sold in the original manufacturerâs packaging. |
| Utah | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Distribution of vaping products is banned in correctional facilities. School boards must ban the use and possession of vaping products on school property and at school events. Vaping is banned in cars when a person who is 15 years old or younger is present. | yes | yes | Sales of open-system e-cigarette products must follow state rules for labeling and nicotine limits. Products also require safety warnings, child-resistant packaging, and restrictions on certain additive claims. |
| Vermont | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned on public school grounds and at school-sponsored events. Vaping is banned in childcare facilities and in cars when a minor is present. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Virginia | School boards must ban the use and possession of vaping products on school property and at school events. Vaping is banned in any structure or place in a park where smoking is banned. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources may further restrict vaping in any park. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |
| Washington | Vaping is banned within 50 feet of schools and in buildings and on grounds that function as childcare facilities, schools, playgrounds, school buses, and elevators. Vaping is banned in indoor early learning facilities and in vehicles used to transport children. Vaping is banned at public colleges and universities. Vaping is banned on state veteran home campuses. | yes | yes | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. All liquid nicotine containers must include warnings about nicotine risks, keeping products away from children, and underage vaping laws. Open-system products must also list nicotine strength and total liquid volume. |
| Washington, D.C. | Vaping is banned in all places where smoking is prohibited. Vaping is banned in streetcars and on streetcar platforms. Vaping is banned on library property. Vaping is banned during business hours at cottage food businesses. | yes | yes | none |
| West Virginia | Vaping is banned on school property except in areas that are inaccessible to students and are not used for instruction. Vaping is banned in state-owned vehicles. | yes | no | none |
| Wisconsin | Vaping is banned at State Fair Park indoor facilities and the main stage area. | yes | yes | none |
| Wyoming | Vaping is banned in childcare facilities when children are present. | yes | no | Liquid nicotine containers must be sold in child-resistant packaging. |