Alternatives to Vaping: What Teens Can Try Instead

Find healthy and enjoyable options to replace vaping as a teen. Beat stress and harmful habits and manage cravings. Enjoy your life without depending on your vape!

Vaping has skyrocketed over the past decade and has replaced cigarettes to become this generation's new “nicotine fix”. Despite public health efforts and recent declining numbers as of 2025, it remains a concern due to its long-term consequences on physical and mental health.

Vaping is a form of smoking, using a handheld electronic device known as an e-cigarette or vape to inhale a mist that usually contains a combination of chemical flavorings and nicotine. Nicotine is extremely addictive, triggering the release of dopamine in the brain and reinforcing the cycle of addiction.

Encouraging teens to quit can be tricky, and many teens report wanting to but not knowing how. Healthy alternatives can make it easier to sustainably end the habit rather than quitting cold turkey.

Rates of Vaping in Youth

Data as of 2025 shows a decline in vaping rates among youth across several countries after previous peaks. In the US, vape use among high schoolers dropped from 7.7% in 2023 to 5.9% in 2024, highlighting that prevention efforts and education are working [1].

Nonetheless, the numbers are still high, with over 1.6 million teens still vaping across the US; it remains a significant public health issue.

Why is Vaping So Common Among Teens?

Vaping is common among teens for a variety of reasons, including [2]:

Marketing: Vapes are appealing to youth, and it is by design. They are often sold in bright colored packaging and come in fun flavors like sour apple or banana split. Aggressive marketing also targets youth on social media such as TikTok and Snapchat, making them seem more appealing to youth and normalizing their use.

Perceived as Less Harmful: Many teens perceive vaping as less harmful than traditional cigarettes, encouraging experimentation. The lack of smell and sleek, discreet designs also makes them seem more acceptable.

Peer Influence: Many teens start vaping because their friends do. Teens may feel peer pressure, see vaping as trendy, or simply have curiosity.

Coping: Many teens report vaping due to boredom, relieving stress or anxiety, and to help them focus. For teens who continue to use, many report they vape because they are “hooked” or “can’t go without it”.

How Does Vaping Affect Teens?

Vaping can have several long-term consequences for teens, affecting their respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems. It can increase the risk of serious problems such as chronic lung disease and exacerbate symptoms of mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety.

Physical Health Consequences

Vaping during adolescence has been linked to several health problems affecting various regions of the body. The physical effects of vaping include [3]:

Increased risk of asthma, bronchitis, and serious lung injury known as EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury).

Nicotine salts and chemicals in e-cigarettes contribute to endothelial dysfunction, a precursor to heart disease.

Brief exposure to flavored vapes has been shown to reduce blood vessel dilation in young, healthy users.

Teens who vape often have lower physical fitness levels, which can increase the risk of issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Impact on Mental Health

Vaping also affects the mental health of teens by contributing to or worsening symptoms of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Nicotine can interfere with brain development, and the mental health effects of vaping in teens include [4][5]:

60% of teens who vape reported symptoms of anxiety compared to non-vapers (40%).

Studies found that suicidal thoughts were reported by more than half of teens who vape, versus less than a third of non-vaping teens.

Nicotine dependence worsens conditions such as anxiety and depression in the long term by affecting sleep, appetite, and impairing concentration. Research has found that mental health generally improves after quitting vaping.

Healthy Alternatives to Vaping

Telling a teen to “just quit vaping” is usually easier said than done. In a report from the Annual Youth Tobacco Survey, researchers found that nearly half of teens ages 15 to 17 who vape would like to quit but don’t know how or struggle to do so [1].

While lifestyle changes such as exercise, stress management, and balanced nutrition can be helpful, there are several functional replacements that teens can try that may be more effective.

Replace The Oral Fixation

Many smokers report being unable to quit because they are addicted to the oral fixation (the behavior of hitting or sucking on a vape or cigarette). There are several ways to get the same oral fix without using nicotine. A few ideas to have your teen try include:

Chew on cinnamon, licorice root sticks, or sugar-free gum
Eat sugar-free sour candy, spicy food, or chili-covered candy
Suck on lollipops

Cold Showers

When your teen is craving a hit of a vape, encourage them to take a cold shower, even for just 30 to 60 seconds. It may sound clichéd, but it often helps regulate mood, overcome cravings, and relieve stress. Cold water activates the release of dopamine and acts as a reset button on the nervous system.

Coping with Music

Have your teen create a “cravings playlist” with songs that feel like dopamine. Encourage them to dance, relax their shoulders and jaws, and move to the rhythm. This can help calm the nervous system during periods of nicotine cravings.

Mouth-Tingling Pouches and Nicotine-Free Alternatives

For teens who are chronic vape users, they may need to wean down rather than quit nicotine cold turkey slowly. Several brands, including Zyn and Lucy Gum, make alternatives with low levels of nicotine and some with none at all. These are chewed or placed in the mouth to provide a subtle “tingle”, similar to a hit of nicotine, without dependence.

Nicotine Addiction Treatment for Youth in Winter Springs

Lotus Behavioral Health is a residential treatment facility for teens located in Florida. Our programs are designed to support teens and their families with the tools they need to recover from substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. We offer a blend of comprehensive services such as individual therapy, group therapy, medication management, and skill-building workshops to help teens recover from addiction to vaping, nicotine, and other substances.

We also strive to educate families with the knowledge and tools they need to prevent drug abuse in teens and support their health.