The tobacco industry and its allies characterize e-cigarettes as safe, but that framing ignores what science shows: E-cigarettes expose people to harmful compounds that can damage vital organs, and they deliver highly addictive nicotine that can fuel lifelong addiction.

What you need to know: A growing body of scientific evidence raises serious concerns about the potential health harms of e-cigarette use.

The reason: E-cigarettes produce an aerosol, often misrepresented and misunderstood to be water vapor, that can contain fine particles and toxic chemicals linked to heart and respiratory diseases and cancer.

• Those compounds can include formaldehyde and acrolein, which can cause serious health problems, as well as heavy metals and other dangerous substances such as diacetyl and benzene.
• Chemicals used for flavoring may also be harmful when inhaled.

Plus: Nicotine remains a central concern. It's a highly addictive chemical that poses risks to cardiovascular health. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, as do nicotine pouches and many other tobacco products.

• Nicotine raises blood pressure and heart rate while narrowing blood vessels. As a result, the heart must work harder, and the flow of oxygen-rich blood is reduced.
• Over time, this strain increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure.

The impact: For young people, the risks can be especially pronounced. Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain, including areas tied to attention, learning, impulse control and memory.

• E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students. Nicotine pouches are the second most commonly used tobacco product.
• Early nicotine addiction can also make young people more likely to use other dangerous tobacco products.

The challenge: The concern is not only what is inside e-cigarettes, but how they and other tobacco products are marketed and used.

• The tobacco industry aggressively markets flavored tobacco products — including fruit, mint, menthol, candy and dessert flavors — with broad appeal to kids.
• More than 8 in 10 youth who have ever used tobacco products started with flavored products. Nearly all youth who use e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches report using flavored products.

Flavored tobacco products can make nicotine products easier to start and harder to quit.

Here's what else: Traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products cause almost half a million deaths in the U.S. each year — which underscores the importance of preventing addiction before it starts.

• The best way to reduce the harm from tobacco use and nicotine addiction is to quit. Talk to your doctor about science-based, FDA-approved products and proven cessation programs.
• An example: Nicotine replacement therapy has long been shown to help people reduce nicotine dependence over time and ultimately quit. The American Heart Association recommends this and other proven approaches.

Looking ahead: After decades of disease and death caused by tobacco products, the tobacco industry cannot be trusted with the health of our kids, our families or our communities.

The American Heart Association continues to support federal, state and local policies to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol, and reduce youth access to addictive nicotine products.

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