Is Vaping Safer Than Smoking?

Is Vaping Safer Than Smoking? Tampa FLVaping involves the inhalation of nicotine—the same highly addictive chemical found in traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, dip, and snuff. Vapers puff on a small, battery-powered vaporizing device, which transforms a nicotine-based liquid into an aerosol that can be inhaled.

Vaping has numerous risks

Although the aerosol produced by vaping devices contains fewer toxic chemicals than the smoke produced by burned tobacco products, it is far from risk-free. For instance, in addition to nicotine, vapers are exposed to many other cancer-causing substances, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals, as well as inhalable particles that can cause respiratory damage. Recent studies confirm that vapers have an increased risk of developing many serious health conditions, including lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and bladder cancer.

Currently, the data available on the long-term health risks of vaping is limited. However, it is known that:

  • The amount of nicotine contained in a single e-liquid cartridge (which provides approximately 200 puffs) is about the same as the amount contained in 20 cigarettes (an entire pack).
  • In young people, nicotine use in any form can interfere with brain development, which normally continues until approximately age 25.
  • The aerosol produced by vaping devices is chemically unstable. Even seemingly harmless flavor agents can undergo changes and transform into toxic chemicals (acetals). This means nicotine-free vaping products are also unsafe.
  • Research suggests that children who begin vaping at an early age are more likely to use traditional tobacco products later in life.

Protect your health by quitting now

There are still many unknowns about vaping, including what chemicals make up the aerosol and how those chemicals can affect physical health over time. The bottom line is that vapers are exposed to many chemicals that are not yet fully understood and most likely unsafe. But, if you vape, the sooner you stop, the quicker your body can begin to rebound and repair itself.

If you need help quitting, contact or visit South Tampa Immediate Care in Tampa, FL, where a doctor can help you find an appropriate smoking cessation program or tool.