Clearing the Haze: Vaping, Nicotine, and Cannabis in Clinical Practice

Session Description: Vaping has shifted how people use nicotine and cannabis—and how those substances show up in screening, assessment, and treatment planning. This session reviews current patterns of vaping, common product types (including high-potency nicotine and THC devices), and key health and behavioral risks associated with inhaled nicotine and cannabis. Content will address how vaping intersects with adolescent and adult use, co-occurring mental health conditions, and polysubstance patterns, with attention to what is known and not yet known about longer-term effects.

Participants will be introduced to practical, adaptable strategies for clinical practice, including brief screening questions to clarify vaping patterns and potency, a simple risk/benefit discussion framework for patients who view vaping as harm reduction or “no big deal,” and collaborative goal-setting options that support reduction, safer-use steps, or cessation. A brief case example will illustrate a common clinical presentation and how to integrate vaping into assessment and treatment planning without increasing shame or disengagement.

By the end of the session, clinicians will be prepared to incorporate vaping into routine workflows, communicate risk in a realistic and non-alarmist way, and document clinically relevant vaping considerations within substance use and co-occurring care.

Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. 1H79TI088037 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.