What Is an E-Cigarette? How It Works and What It Is Made Of

What is an e-cigarette?

An e-cigarette is an electronic device that heats a liquid to produce an aerosol, or a mixture of tiny particles suspended in the air.

E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes. Most have a battery, a heating element, and a place to hold the liquid.

Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Others look like USB flash drives, pens, and other everyday items. Larger devices, such as tank systems or “mods,” do not resemble other tobacco products.

E-cigarettes go by many different names. They are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).”

Using an e-cigarette is sometimes called “vaping.”

How do e-cigarettes work?

E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals that help create the aerosol.

The liquid used in e-cigarettes usually contains nicotine and flavorings. This liquid is sometimes called “e-juice,” “e-liquid,” “vape juice,” or “vape liquid.”

Users inhale the aerosol from e-cigarettes into their lungs. When users exhale this aerosol into the air, bystanders can also inhale it.

E-cigarette devices can also be used to deliver cannabis and other drugs.