Tobacco is a plant that Indigenous Peoples have used for thousands of years. For many, it is considered sacred. Different Indigenous communities may have their own way of growing and using tobacco based on their traditions and teachings. They often use tobacco like medicine to help the body, mind, and spirit. It is also used in ceremonies, prayers, or given as a gift to show respect. 

This kind of tobacco is treated with great care. It is harvested and used differently than commercial tobacco. It might be burned or smoked, but people usually don’t breathe in the smoke. When used in these traditional ways, it doesn’t cause substance use disorders or health problems, like commercial tobacco. 

Commercial tobacco is made by companies and sold in things like cigarettes, cigars, hookahs, vapes, and chewing tobacco. When burned, it releases thousands of chemicals. One of those is nicotine, which is very addictive. That means it can be really hard to quit once you start. 

Using tobacco is the top cause of early death and sickness in Canada that can be prevented (Canada, 2024). Every year in Chatham-Kent, smoking causes a significant number of deaths, hospital stays and emergency room visits. 

Using tobacco can lead to serious health issues, including: 

• Cancer in parts of the body like the lungs, mouth, throat, stomach, liver, colon, and more. 
• Respiratory problems, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coughing a lot, making too much mucus, and trouble breathing. 
• Heart and blood problems, like heart attacks and strokes. 

Tobacco products and most vaping products contain nicotine, which can have harmful health effects. Nicotine is: 

• Highly addictive, which can lead to: 
  • Using more and more over time, even when you didn’t plan to 
  • Being unable to cut down or quit smoking / vaping 
  • Spending too much money on smoking / vaping products 
• Dangerous for youth and young adults because it affects how their brain grows. Nicotine can: 
  • Make it harder to focus, learn, and control emotions 
  • Kill brain cells and stop new ones from growing 
  • Cause addiction more quickly 
  • Lead to using other substances later 
  • Increase the chance of having mood disorders (such as major depressive disorder, panic disorder, or antisocial personality disorder) 
• Harmful to the developing fetus during pregnancy. It can: 
  • Disrupt their brain and lung development 
  • Make it more likely they will be born too early or too small 

Vaping is when someone uses a device called a vape or e-cigarette to heat up a liquid and turn it into a smoke-like vapor that they breathe in. Most vaping liquids have nicotine and other flavours made from different chemicals. Some people also use vapes for cannabis. Different vapes have different amounts of nicotine. Health Canada limits the amount of nicotine in vaping devices to 20 milligrams per milliliter. This means that one 5 mL vape could have as much nicotine as 100 cigarettes. 

Even though vaping doesn't have as many dangerous chemicals as regular cigarettes, it is not completely safe. 

• Nicotine exposure – most vaping products contain nicotine and include the same risks mentioned above. 
• Breathing in harmful chemicals – vape smoke has things like glycerol, propylene glycol, and flavorings that can harm your lungs when you breathe them in over time. 
• Toxic compounds – heating vape liquids creates dangerous compounds that can cause cancer. 
• Metal particles – vaping devices can release tiny metal bits into the smoke that are linked to serious diseases like cancer. 

Common negative health effects reported from vaping include: 

• Throat and mouth irritation 
• Headaches 
• Coughing 
• Nausea 

Scientists are still studying vaping, so we don’t know all the ways it can affect your health, especially in the long term. 

Vaping liquid that has nicotine in it is very dangerous, especially for young children. Even small amounts can cause serious harm if: 

• It is swallowed 
• It touches the skin and gets into the body 

There have been cases where children were poisoned (and some even died) after swallowing vaping liquid. 

Vaping is not safe for anyone, especially: 

• Children and teens 
• Young adults 
• People who are pregnant 

These groups have growing bodies that can be harmed more easily by nicotine and other chemicals. 

If you're an adult who smokes, switching completely to vaping might be less harmful than smoking. But for kids, teens, and people who don't smoke, it's best not to vape at all. 

We are committed to: 

• Preventing people from starting to smoke or vape 
• Helping people quit nicotine by sharing support options 
• Keeping public places clean and safe from second-hand smoke and tobacco and vaping litter 

One of our biggest goals is preventing kids and teens from using nicotine. In the past 20 years, youth smoking has gone down because more people know how harmful tobacco is. But now, vaping has become a new problem for health and behaviour. 

We have programs and services that help prevent kids and teens from smoking or vaping. For more information about our services, contact us at cksmokefree@chatham-kent.ca 

Vaping is not a proven way to help you quit smoking. There are other safe and effective ways to quit smoking. If you or someone you care about is struggling with smoking or vaping, help is available.  

CK Public Health - Quitting Smoking & Vaping: Offers a variety of options and resources that can support you. 

Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) Program: The STOP program helps people in Chatham-Kent quit smoking.