Does Vaping Cause Anxiety?

As vaping has become more common in recent years, especially among adolescents and young adults, health officials have expressed concern about the risks posed by this behavior. For example, does vaping cause anxiety?

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The Link Between Vaping and Anxiety

Vaping is a form of nicotine use that employs small electronic devices to heat oil-like liquids, which users then inhale in aerosolized form.

The devices are referred to by a variety of names, including vapes, pens, electronic cigarettes, and e-cigs. The oils, which can contain a variety of chemicals and come in a range of flavors, are known as vape juice or e-juice.

Though many people mistakenly believe that vaping is a relatively safe behavior, experts have identified links between vaping and several mental health concerns, including anxiety.

Does vaping cause anxiety?

The 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) found a strong link between vaping and anxiety. According to self-reported information from 29,861 U.S. students in grades six through 12:

• 42.1% of students who identified as current users of e-cigarettes reported moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression and anxiety 
• 21.0% of young people who said they either had never vaped or no longer used e-cigs reported the same types of symptoms

Based on these findings, the answer to the question, “Does vaping cause anxiety?” is clearly yes, right?

Not necessarily.

Among the 2024 NYTS respondents, it’s clear that those who vape are much more likely to have anxiety than those who don’t. But this data isn’t enough to establish a cause/effect relationship between anxiety and vaping.

Does anxiety cause vaping?

An October 2024 study in the journal Substance Use & Misuse investigated the reasons why young adults ages 18-30 use e-cigarettes. 

Similar to the NYTS, data collected during this study found that vapers had higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than non-vapers did. However, additional data indicates that, at least initially, study participants’ mental health struggles led to vaping, not the other way around.

“Young adults who scored higher for severe anxiety and depression were associated with attributing vaping to tension reduction or relaxation more than those with lower levels of anxiety and depression,” the researchers reported.

The authors of the Substance Use & Misuse study noted that their results may point to a “cyclical relationship” between vaping and mental health. In other words:

• Young adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and certain other mental health concerns seem to be more likely to start vaping in an attempt to relax or ease tension.
• Instead of offering relief, vaping may actually exacerbate these types of symptoms.
• As their symptoms become more severe, young adults may increase their vaping because they still believe that the behavior can alleviate their mental health symptoms.

So, to revisit the question at the top of today’s post: Does vaping cause anxiety? Evidence suggests that, at first, anxiety is more likely to cause vaping. But vaping can, in turn, intensify existing symptoms of anxiety.

Other Potential Dangers of Vaping

Vaping’s potential for causing more severe mental health symptoms isn’t the only danger posed by this behavior. It has also been linked with a range of physical health concerns.

A November 2025 meta-analysis in the open access journal Tobacco Induced Diseases found that the impact of vaping may include:

• Respiratory symptoms
• COPD
• Asthma
• Lung inflammation and damage

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has reported that vaping may increase a person’s risk of:

• Serious lung disease
• Damage to teeth and other oral tissues
• Bronchitis
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Blood vessel irritation

The ACS also noted that vape juice may contain a host of dangerous chemicals, some of which could lead to cancer. However, since vaping is a relatively recent phenomenon, there hasn’t yet been enough time to conduct long-term studies on the cancer-related risks of vaping.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Sometimes, anxiety is a temporary period of heightened worry that subsides once the circumstances that caused it are resolved. 

In other cases it is a chronic concern that’s characterized by ongoing periods of excessive worry and disproportionate fear, with symptoms becoming so severe that they undermine a person’s ability to function at work, in school, or in other important areas of life.

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes entries for the several anxiety disorders, including:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
• Panic disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Specific phobia
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Selective mutism

Some of these disorders can be sources of physical distress as well as psychological pain. For example, panic disorder can cause symptoms such as lightheadedness, hot flashes, chest pain, racing heart rate, and the sense of being choked or smothered.

Vaping is unlikely to directly cause any of these disorders, but as noted earlier the behavior can be both a risk factor and a cause of symptom intensification.

Anxiety Treatment Options

Various self-care practices and self-soothing techniques can be quite helpful for managing some anxiety symptoms. But if a person’s anxiety progresses to the point that it disrupts their ability to live a full, satisfying life, seeking professional help may be the best step.

Anxiety treatment can occur in several environments, including:

• Residential treatment
• Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• Virtual (online) treatment

Depending on the nature of a person’s challenges and the parameters of the program they’re enrolled in, their care may include therapies and support services such as:

• Individual psychotherapy
• Group therapy 
• Family counseling and education
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Holistic therapies

Treatment for anxiety disorders also often involves prescription medications. Meds that have proved helpful for people with anxiety include:

• Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and lorazepam (Ativan)
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as escitalopram (Lexapro) and sertraline (Zoloft)
• Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor)

With so many options available, it’s important to find a provider who will take the time to understand the full scope of your needs so they can develop a truly customized treatment plan for you.

Find Anxiety Treatment in the San Francisco Bay Area 

Bright Future Recovery offers a full continuum of personalized care for adults who have anxiety, other mental health conditions, and co-occurring substance use disorders (addictions).

Treatment options at our rehab near San Francisco, CA, include a residential program, a PHP, an IOP, and virtual care.

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.