Are Vape Devices as Dangerous as Cigarettes?

February 4, 2025by ecigg0

This is quite a common question, with all the popularity surrounding vaping. In fact, this can be easily overwhelming to sort through-the amount of information out there-on such an important health topic. New to Vaping? You found the right place!

When vaping first swept the nation, some people thought it to be a benign alternative to cigarettes or the hip thing to do. Others never touched either sort of cigarette electronically or otherwise. The question is complex; the answer certainly is, anyway, and here’s one that we should ask as more information comes available about these new nicotine delivery devices.

Comparing smoking and vaping is a complex matter. One may look less dangerous at first, but both are hazardous to health, affecting lung health, the developing brain in young people, and introducing possibly toxic chemicals into your body. Get more insight from the best vape shop in Philadelphia.

The Known Dangers of Smoking Cigarettes

The risks of cigarette smoking are well documented. According to the CDC, smoking damages nearly every organ in the body and is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths each year in the US. Ninety percent of lung cancer deaths and 80% of COPD deaths are due to smoking.

It also increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems. These are not mere statistics; they represent the impact smoking has on individual lives and overall public health, which is something we are passionate about in the American Lung Association.

The Murky Waters of Vaping

Vaping is newer, so long-term health effects are still being uncovered. It is often perceived as less dangerous than smoking, but “less dangerous” doesn’t mean safe. Vaping-related lung injuries (EVALI) have resulted in thousands of hospitalizations and deaths.

The CDC confirmed approximately 2,800 EVALI cases and 68 deaths as of early 2020. These illustrate real vaping health risks.

Are Vape Devices as Dangerous as Cigarettes?: Breaking Down the Risks

The question of whether vaping is as dangerous as smoking doesn’t have a simple yes or no answer. It’s complex.

Nicotine’s Grip: Both Vaping and Smoking

Both vaping devices and smoking deliver nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Nicotine’s addictive properties in vapes can be just as strong, sometimes stronger, than in cigarettes, particularly among young adults. Roughly half of all smokers try to quit annually, but only about 6% succeed.

Nicotine makes quitting very challenging regardless of the method. If you or someone you know is addicted and would like additional support in your tobacco cessation, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Chemicals: Smoke vs. Vapor

Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds of toxic substances and about 70 known carcinogens. Vape liquids, or e-juice, have fewer chemicals than cigarettes but still contain potentially dangerous chemicals. These include heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and flavoring chemicals like diacetyl.

Di-acetyl is associated with “popcorn lung,” a severe lung disease. There are many credible sources available on the health effects of vaping ingredients in addition to short/long term studies, the Surgeon General’s Report. For more information, visit our page on vaping and its link to cancer on lung.org.

Long-Term Effects: A Waiting Game

The dangers of smoking include lung damage, heart disease, and stroke. The long-term effects of vaping, which also affect lung damage, are still being studied. A 2019 study revealed an increased risk of respiratory problems, such as asthma and COPD, in people who vape.

Another study revealed that some nicotine-free vapes contain nicotine, thus exposing those who vape thinking they are avoiding it to risks. More research has also shown that individuals vaping nicotine-free e-cigs also develop nicotine addiction. Vapers have higher respiratory risks than non-smokers, according to emerging research by trusted health professionals.

Some early research indicates refillable vape devices are safer as users have control over the ingredients. They are opting to switch from tobacco products, which we applaud, but not the other alternative that would also contain a tobacco product, often nicotine levels even higher than what was originally discovered in the traditional cigarette they were quitting.

However, disposables vape devices are favored for their ease of use despite possible safety risks.

Quitting: The Way Ahead

Quitting nicotine from either e-cigs or cigs can be very challenging. Quitting is overcoming withdrawal from nicotine and, for those reasons, we are commending all efforts toward a smokefree and tobacco-free lifestyle.

Vaping as a Quitting Tool?

Some view vaping as a way to quit smoking. A 2021 study found that daily vaping among former smokers was more likely for them to successfully quit cigs by nearly 8x compared to other people who did not quit. This showed that 80% of those in the group were still vaping, trading one habit for another.

This leaves open the question of whether substituting cigarettes with vaping truly constitutes quitting. Those not using vaping did not show signs of having worse health outcomes like those who use cigarettes. This shows that, vaping, especially without understanding how it impacts lung injury, can actually be a gateway that leads the vaper into smoking conventional cigs with severe health impacts.

The FDA approved three brands of e-cigs specifically to assist in smoking cessation, yet so much is unknown about how e-cigs might impact brain development.

Traditional Cessation Methods: Sticking with What Works

So, are vape devices as dangerous as cigarettes? The answer isn’t straightforward. Smoking’s risks are clear and well-documented. Vaping’s risks, while potentially less severe in the short term, are not fully understood. Especially if you are concerned about things such as vaping and cancer, and vaping while pregnant. Which poses unique risks for those who fall under these circumstances, for more details, check out our section of vaping and pregnancy.

Daily vaping might help some smokers quit smoking initially, but it could replace one nicotine addiction with another. Choosing to quit requires understanding the risks and the challenges involved with nicotine and lung health. Both introduce nicotine and other harmful substances, posing health risks. If you don’t use either, abstaining is the healthiest choice. Contact us for more information.

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