Is vape juice just water?
No.
Many people are surprised to learn that vape juice contains a mixture of ingredients including solvents, sweeteners, flavourings and often nicotine.
When a vape is used, these ingredients are heated and turned into an aerosol that is breathed into the lungs.
Many people call this cloud “vapour”, but it is actually an aerosol. Unlike water vapour (like steam from a kettle), an aerosol contains tiny droplets that can carry nicotine and other chemicals.
What’s In Vape Juice?
Solvents
Most vape juice is made up of two ingredients called propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG).
These ingredients help mix and carry the other ingredients in vape juice, including flavourings and nicotine.
They also help create the cloud you can see when someone vapes.
PG and VG are used in a range of everyday products, including some foods, medicines and cosmetics. However, vaping is different because these ingredients are heated and breathed into the lungs.
Sweeteners
Many vape products contain sweeteners.
Sweeteners are added to make vape products taste sweeter and more enjoyable to use.
Most sweeteners used in vape products were first made for use in food and drinks. However, vaping is different because these ingredients are heated and breathed into the lungs rather than eaten.
Scientists are still learning about the effects of breathing in heated sweeteners over time.
Flavourings
Flavourings are added to create different tastes and smells.
Today there are thousands of vape flavours available, including fruit and dessert flavours.
Many flavourings were first made for food and drinks. Just because something is safe to eat doesn’t mean it’s safe to heat up and breathe into your lungs.
Nicotine
Many vape products contain nicotine.
Nicotine can be hard to stop using once someone starts vaping.
In young people, nicotine may affect the way the brain grows and develops.
What happens when vape juice is heated?
When vape juice is heated, some ingredients can change and create new chemicals. These chemicals become part of the aerosol that is breathed into the lungs.
This is one reason why the cloud from a vape is different from water vapour.
Key takeaway
Vape juice isn’t just water.
Most vape juice contains solvents, sweeteners, flavourings and often nicotine. Many of these ingredients are also used in foods, drinks and other everyday products, but they were not made to be heated and breathed into the lungs.
When vape juice is heated, it creates an aerosol that can contain a range of chemicals that are breathed into the lungs.
Understanding what is in a vape is an important first step. The more you know about what goes into vape juice and what happens when it is heated, the easier it is to make choices that are right for you.
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