What is vaping?

Find more information on what vaping is,  as well as about the nicotine and other substances found in many vaping liquids.

On this page:

• What is vaping
• Vaping liquids and substances
• Cannabis vaping
• Nicotine

What is vaping

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol produced by a vaping product, such as an electronic cigarette. Vaping doesn’t require burning like cigarette smoking. The device heats a liquid into a vapour, which then turns into aerosol. This vapour is often flavoured and can contain nicotine. In New Brunswick, all flavours except Tobacco flavour were banned in September 2021.

To learn more visit: About vaping - Canada.ca

Vaping liquids and substances

In vaping liquids, nicotine and/or flavouring ingredients are dissolved in a liquid mixture. This mixture is typically made up of propylene glycol and/or glycerol (vegetable glycerin) and other chemicals. Flavouring ingredients include chemicals and blends of chemicals used to make different flavours.

The number of chemical ingredients used in vaping liquids varies. Between 2017-2019, researchers at Health Canada detected an average of 31 chemicals in Canadian vaping products, including  roughly nine flavouring agents. Additional chemicals can also form when vaping liquids are heated (through the aerosolization process) or if liquids come into contact with parts of the vaping device (e.g., coil).

Prior to July 2021 in Canada, vaping substance nicotine strengths ranged from 0 to over 60 mg/ml of nicotine. Since July 2021, the Nicotine Concentration in Vaping Products Regulations establish a maximum concentration of 20 mg/mL for vaping products manufactured in or imported into Canada.

People should not use any vaping products obtained from illegal or unregulated source as these are not subject to minimum standards and may be contaminated. They can pose additional risks to health and safety.

Cannabis vaping

Cannabis can be consumed in different ways, including by vaporizing and vaping (breathing in dried cannabis or liquid cannabis vapors through a vaporizer or vaping device). Illegal cannabis, including cannabis vaping products that are sold on the illegal market, are not subject to minimum standards and may be contaminated.

The use of vaping products outside of the legal market can pose additional risks to health and safety. In 2019, there was an outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury (EVALI, referred to as VALI in Canada), which caused thousands of hospitalizations and dozens of deaths in the United States (US). Canada experienced a small number of cases of VALI and no deaths have been reported to date.

The Public Health Agency of Canada's outbreak investigation did not identify a common cause of VALI in Canada. However, evidence from the US suggests a link to unregulated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing vaping products that contained additives, such as Vitamin E acetate.

A clear finding from the outbreaks in the US and Canada is that Canadians should not use any vaping products, including products containing cannabis, obtained from illegal or unregulated sources. Vaping products obtained from illegal or unregulated sources may be contaminated with adulterants like Vitamin E acetate, which is not allowed in regulated products because of the harm it can pose when inhaled.

Nicotine

Nicotine is highly addictive. There are two forms of nicotine commonly used in vaping liquids:

• freebase nicotine
• nicotine salts

The use of nicotine salts lowers the pH of vaping liquids, allowing much higher concentrations of nicotine to be inhaled with less irritation, which raises concerns about the potential for addiction.

For more information on the health impacts of nicotine, click HERE.