Vaping Resources
What Is Vaping?
Inhaling vapor through the mouth from a usually battery-operated electronic device (such as an electronic cigarette) that heats up and vaporizes a liquid or solid.
Vaping Devices
Vaping using an electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette) creates an aerosol by using a battery to heat up liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other additives. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs. E-cigarettes can also be used to deliver cannabinoids such as marijuana, and other drugs. According to the National Institute on Drugs, "Vaping devices, also known as e-cigarettes, e-vaporizers, or electronic nicotine delivery systems, are battery-operated devices that people use to inhale an aerosol, which typically
contains nicotine (though not always), flavorings, and other chemicals. They can resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes (cig-a-likes), cigars, or pipes, or even everyday items like pens or USB memory sticks. Other devices, such as those with fillable tanks, may look different. Regardless of their design and appearance, these devices generally operate in a similar manner and are made of similar components. More than 460 different e-cigarette brands are currently on the market."
Know the Risks
What Does Vaping Misuse & Addiction Look Like?
Vaping misuse and addiction behaviors and symptoms can vary, but include:
- A strong, almost irresistible urge to vape.
- Continuing to vape even if you think that it's harmful to you.
- Irritability when you can't vape.
- Intrusive thoughts about vaping.
- Vaping behavior that causes problems with family, friends, school, or work.
- The inability to stop vaping even when you try.
- Disruptions to learning, vaping at inappropriate times like during class
- Vaping first thing in the morning
- Hiding your behavior from friends and family
What Does Vaping Withdrawal Look Like?
When you quit vaping, your body and brain must get used to going without nicotine or whatever substance is being used. This is called withdrawal. The side effects of vaping withdrawal can be uncomfortable and can trigger cravings for nicotine. Common nicotine/vaping withdrawal symptoms include:
- Feeling irritable, restless, or jittery
- Having headaches
- Increased sweating
- Feeling sad or down
- Feeling anxious
- Feeling tired or groggy
- Having trouble thinking clearly or concentrating
- Having trouble sleeping
- Having intense cravings for e-cigarettes
Supports for Quitting Vaping
Youth Cessation
If you, one of your friends, or a family member is in need of treatment for vaping misuse or addiction, there are options and quit supports available for young people:
In-Person Support
Taught by a trained and certified adult in ten, 50-minute sessions. The easy-to-use method helps teens quit by addressing total health in order to develop and maintain positive behaviors. Participants will talk about the importance of physical activity, nutrition, enhancing their sense of self-control, and improving life skills such as stress management, decision making, coping and interpersonal skills. Additionally, they will learn to identify their reasons for smoking or vaping, healthy alternatives to tobacco use and finding people who will support them in their efforts to quit.
Virtual Support
This web-based program offers tips and tools to help quit. Its offerings includes a quit smoking text option (Smokefree TXT for Teens), a live chat option (LiveHelp), a phone chat option (1-800-Quit -Now), a quit smoking app (QuitSTART), an Instagram program, and a personalized quit vaping plan.
Phone Support
A free mobile program from Truth Initiative designed to help young people quit vaping. The first-of-its-kind text messaging program incorporates messages from other young people like them who have attempted to, or successfully quit, e-cigarettes. Join for free by texting DITCHVAPE to 88709.
Family & Adult Cessation
Break The Vape
A whole family, cognitive-based program that serves families dealing with substance use that want to focus on fixing challenging family communication and building life-long skills to break substance use. The program packages a validated model for intervention, with integrated skill building, family conflict skills and parental support. Break the Vape is designed to be used alone or in support of work being done in school or with a clinician. The program has separate, but concurrent paths for teens and their parents.
802Quits
Vermont’s resource for quitting smoking and other tobacco. Access support to help you quit, make a quit plan, and get free nicotine replacement. Learn about fun quit tools, managing cravings, and handling slips.
Help! I Want to Quit Smoking
The American Heart Association's compilation of quitlines, online resources, private programs, information about nicotine replacement medications and other prescription drugs to help people quit vaping or smoking.
Educational Resources for Youth, Caring Adults & Educators
StartConversation.us Community Resources
The Partnerships For Success community resources compilation that highlights local supports for parents, quitting, community assets, and professional behavioral help services.
Vaping Resource Portal
Built by The Collaborative's team, this resource portal contains everything you want to know about vaping. Find vaping presentation materials, information about where to get help with vaping, as well as specific resources for youth, caring adults, and educators.
Vape Disposal Information
How can we address disposing vape devices containing nicotine, cannabis, vitamins and lithium batteries? The Collaborative is working on the difficult issue of vape disposal and address the increased use of vapes by our communities' youth. You may be wondering what schools in your region doing with confiscated vape devices? Or how to safely throw away vape devices? Let us share some information about this complex topic.
Did You Know
- Putting vape devices in the Drug Enforcement Agency's prescription drug take back boxes is not permitted
- Throwing a device away in the garbage is not allowed
- Lithium batteries are extremely dangerous to remove
- Currently, there is no infrastructure in the State of Vermont for disposal of whole vape devices
- Schools use the following practices for vape devices-throw devices away or return to parents/guardians, keep them in school personnel desk drawers or boxes in staff offices, or turn them over to law enforcement to be stored in evidence lockers
Our Goals for Vape Disposal
- Create the first safe and centralized disposal system for Vermont schools
- Provide a safe, easy to use state-wide system for whole device disposal
- Empower students to quit vaping and participate in restorative justice
- Focus on work with the following populations-local schools encompassing students, parents, faculty, staff; School Resource Officers; State’s Attorney; and the Center for Restorative Justice
- Make collection and storage of confiscated vape devices easy for schools
- Identify where to install collection boxes and schedule emptying of boxes
- Obtain storage containers from hazardous waste companies
- Assist schools and other organizations in developing updated policy handbooks cover vaping cessation and peer support resources, environmental impact, and vape device collection