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Last revised: August 5, 2025
Tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves. The leaves are then used to make commercial tobacco products.
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Vaping
Vaping is when someone inhales and exhales (puffs) vapour from a battery-operated device. These battery-operated devices (also known as vapes) heat a liquid solution (for example e-liquid or e-juice) which creates an aerosol that is inhaled. This vapour is inhaled through the mouth and into the lungs. E-liquids are available in different flavours mixed in with several chemicals (including glycerol and propylene glycol) that contain different levels of nicotine.
Health Effects
Vapour products are also associated with health risks and the long-term health effects are unknown.
Research on vapour products is emerging. Short-term health effects may include mouth or throat irritation, cough, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Monitor yourself for symptoms of lung (pulmonary) illness such as cough, shortness of breath and chest pain. Seek medical attention right away if you have concerns about your health.
Vaping can expose you to harmful chemicals and metals. Some chemicals found in e-liquids, like vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol, are safe for use in products like cosmetics but the long-term safety of inhaling these substances is unknown.
Additional chemicals can also form when e-liquids are heated (through the aerosolization process) or when liquids come into contact with parts of the vaping device, such as the coil.
Most vapour products contain nicotine.
Nicotine is a chemical found in tobacco leaves, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and other nicotine products. Anyone can develop a physical dependence to nicotine. This means the body gets used to the amount of nicotine and can experience withdrawal symptoms (e.g. cravings, feeling frustrated, irritable or angry; feeling sad or depressed, feeling anxious or jumpy, trouble concentrating, trouble sleeping (insomnia), increased appetite) when they stop using it.
In youth, vaping nicotine can:
- Affect brain development, learning, memory, attention, concentration, and behaviour
- Worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Lead to prolonged use or a transition to cigarettes (which contain tobacco) and associated with negative health impacts.
Drinking e-liquid nicotine can result in nicotine poisoning and even death, especially with young children and pets. If you think someone has been exposed to toxic amounts of nicotine, please call Ontario Poison Centre at 1-800-268-9017.
Secure your home to reduce the risk of accidental ingestion, visit Ottawa Public Health’s Secure Your Substances and Medication page to learn how to store and dispose of substances and medications safely.
If you are concerned about your health after using a vapour product, contact your health care provider and visit our webpage for Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health Services and Resources.
Visit the Health Canada’s website for more information on vaping.
Lower Risk Use
- Read and follow safety instructions provided with e-cigarettes and e-juice.
- Avoid using any vaping products from illegal or unregulated sources. These products are not subject to controls or oversight with respect to safety or quality.
- Do not modify vaping products or add any substances to these products that are not intended by the manufacturer.
- Choose products with child-resistant packaging and store out of reach of children to minimize the risk of nicotine poisoning.
- Only vape in outdoor spaces where it is permitted and be cautious about using vaping products around others due to the potential harms of second-hand exposure.
- Monitor yourself for symptoms of lung (pulmonary) illness such as cough, shortness of breath and chest pain. Seek medical attention right away if you have concerns about your health.
For more information on lower risk nicotine use, view our tips to lower your risk when using nicotine factsheet.
Vaping Products and Quitting Smoking
The evidence around using vapour products to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes is limited, and Health Canada has not approved any vapour product as a way to treat nicotine dependence. People who are interested in reducing or quitting smoking can discuss their quit goals with a healthcare professional.
Find out where and how to access help in the community by visiting OttawaPublicHealth.ca/MentalHealthResources.
The law and vaping
For more information on the smoke-free and vape-free regulations in Ottawa, visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/SmokeFree.
For information on the making, sale, labelling and promotion of vaping products in Canada, visit the federal Tobacco and Vaping Products Act.
Where to go for help
For more information on resources and services, visit our Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health Services and Resources webpage.
Hookah
What is a hookah?
A waterpipe (also known as hubble-bubble, goza, narghile or hookah ) is a device used to smoke specially made tobacco and non-tobacco herbal products called Shisha.
Waterpipes can vary in shapes and sizes but usually have 4 parts:
- Head: where Shisha is heated by charcoal.
- Body: the part that smoke travels through.
- Water bowl: a water filled chamber that cools the smoke from shisha before being inhaled; it does not filter chemicals.
- Hose(s) attached to mouthpieces: smoke from the water bowl travels through the hose to mouthpiece where it is inhaled.
Charcoal is used to heat the shisha in the head and produce smoke, which is cooled by the water or liquid before the user inhales it. The water or liquid does not filter harmful chemicals and particles from the smoke.
What is Shisha?
Shisha is a blend of moist tobacco or herbs, preservatives and flavourings held together with molasses or honey, Shisha is available in many flavours such as apple, plum, coconut, mango, banana, licorice, lemon, orange, tutti fruity, etc.
It is hard to know the exact amounts of the ingredients contained in a shisha package because currently there is no standard for labeling. This means that some products may not be listed and some may not tell you how much nicotine is in the product.
Under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, the sale of flavoured waterpipe tobacco is prohibited in Ontario. However, non-flavoured shisha or tobacco-free shisha alternatives (herbal) can be legally purchased and used.
Health effects of hookah
Hookah smoking can carry many health risks. Some people may perceive the use of hookah to be a "healthier" alternative to cigarette smoking.
Hookah smoking:
- Can be addictive. The commercial tobacco used in a hookah contains nicotine, the same highly addictive substance found in cigarettes.
- Chemicals are absorbed into your body. The smoke from a hookah pipe contains chemicals and toxins including carbon monoxide, carcinogens, heavy metals and tar. The water in a hookah pipe does not act as a filter.
- Is associated with a number of poor health outcomes including lung cancer, respiratory illness, low birth weight, carbon monoxide poisoning, adverse cardiac events and periodontal disease.
- Can make you more susceptible to infectious diseases. There is a risk of contracting viruses and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, herpes, influenza, and oral disease from sharing the hose or mouthpiece of a hookah pipe. The use of a disposable tip does not prevent the transmission of contagious diseases.
- Produces second-hand smoke and second-hand smoke can be hazourdous.
For more information on the health effects of waterpipe smoking and expose, visit Public Health Ontario’s website.
The law and hookah
Smoking shisha, whether there's tobacco or not, is illegal on all City of Ottawa properties (indoor and outdoor) and in all enclosed workplaces or public places in Ottawa. People and businesses may be charged for smoking waterpipes inside their places of business.
See OttawaPublicHealth.ca/SmokeFree for more information on where it is permitted to smoke or to vape in Ottawa.
For more information on resources and services, visit our Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health Services and Resources webpage.
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