- Definition
Vaping is when someone breathes in and out a mist created by an electronic device that heats up a liquid. This mist often has flavors and can contain nicotine or other chemicals.
When someone uses an e-cigarette, they are vaping a liquid that has been heated into a cloud they breathe in.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Vaping is like a little fog machine that makes a cloud, but the cloud is made of things that are not safe to breathe into your body.
Ask your child: What do we need to breathe to keep our bodies healthy?
Common mix-up: Kids may think vaping is harmless because it looks like steam. The vapour actually contains chemicals that can be very harmful to a growing body.
Examples
- Using a vape pen to inhale a flavoured mist is an example of vaping.
- Even if a vape doesn't have nicotine, the aerosol still has chemicals that are not safe for lungs.
- Unlike smoking a cigarette which burns tobacco, vaping heats a liquid into a vapour.
vaping is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
