Not Just Harmless Water Vapor AAP Journal Blogs American Academy of Pediatrics This is what you're actually inhaling when you vape. (Hint: It's not water vapor.) E Cig It's Just Water Vapor Right? Tobacco Prevention Toolkit Stanford Medicine About E Cigarettes (Vapes) Smoking and Tobacco Use CDC DepEd Don't be fooled by the name. Vape isn't harmless water vapor, it's a marketing illusion. What e cigarettes actually release is aerosol packed with harmful substances: nicotine that hooks you, formaldehyde