What is vaping? 5 things you need to know

Many people feel vaping is a safe alternative to cigarettes — but what if you knew your vape pipe could blow up in your face? News Center 7 looks at the little-known danger with vaping, and what you can do to stay safe, Thursday Nov. 14 at 5:30 p.m. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance this year about the dangers of e-cigarette use for young people, but proponents of e-cigarettes say it’s a positive alternative to smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Is vaping safer than smoking a cigarette?

E-cigarettes, devices that typically deliver nicotine, flavorings, and other additives to users through an inhaled aerosol, are a rapidly emerging trend, and are especially popular among young adults, according to the CDC. The devices are often referred to as “e-cigs,” “mods,” “juuling,” “vapes,” and “vape pens.”

They can also be used to deliver other drugs besides nicotine, such as marijuana.

Here’s what you need to know about e-cigarettes and vaping:

1. GROWING TREND CDC officials say e-cigarettes are now the most commonly used form of tobacco by youth in the U.S. "And dual use, or using both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes, is common among youth and young adults 18-25 years of age. Reasons reported by young people for using e-cigarettes include curiosity, taste, and the belief that e-cigarettes are less harmful than other tobacco products," according to the CDC.

2. BIG BUSINESS E-cigarettes are a $2.5 billion business in the U.S. "As of 2014, the e-cigarette industry spent $125 million a year to advertise their products, and used many of the techniques that made traditional cigarettes popular such as sexual content and customer satisfaction," according to the CDC.

3. ALTERNATIVE TO CIGARETTES? Proponents of e-cigarettes argue that e-cigs are safer than smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products. "Electronic cigarettes were designed as a replacement for cigarettes. They have the same purpose – to deliver inhaled nicotine – but do it in a completely different way," according to the American Vaping Association's website.