Tobacco
This colorless, odorless, and highly addictive drug is found in all tobacco products.
What is Nicotine?
As of 2019, this is the federal minimum age in the United States to legally purchase any tobacco or nicotine product, including vapes.
What is 21?
This term describes the intense urge to use a substance, which can be triggered by people, places, or things associated with past use.
What are Cravings (or Triggers)?
This term describes the need for more of a substance to achieve the same effect that a smaller amount once produced.
What is Tolerance?
This term refers to the "smoke" produced by an e-cigarette, which is actually an aerosol containing fine particles of heavy metals and toxic chemicals.
What is Vapor (or Aerosol)?
Drugs often target this system in the brain, which is naturally designed to reward healthy behaviors like eating or exercising.
Reward Pathway
These tiny air sacs in the lungs can be permanently damaged by inhaling smoke or vapor.
These tiny air sacs in the lungs can be permanently damaged by inhaling smoke or vapor.
One standard pod of a popular e-cigarette (like JUUL) can contain as much nicotine as this many regular cigarettes.
What is 20 (or one full pack)?
When the brain is flooded with chemicals from drugs, it may reduce the number of receptors available, a process that leads to this reduced sensitivity.
Downregulation?
This legal substance is a central nervous system depressant that slows down vital functions like heart rate and breathing.
What is Alcohol?
This sticky, black substance is a byproduct of burning tobacco that coats the lungs and can lead to cancer and emphysema.
This is the medical term used by professionals to describe what is commonly called "addiction."
What is Substance Use Disorder (SUD)?
This category of drugs is often prescribed for pain relief but carries a high risk of addiction because of how they interact with opioid receptors.
What are Opioids (or Narcotics)?
This type of smoke is inhaled by non-smokers and contains over 7,000 chemicals, at least 70 of which are known to cause cancer.
What is Secondhand Smoke?
These are drugs that can only be legally obtained with a specific order from a healthcare provider.
What are Prescription Drugs?