Is Vaping Better Than Smoking?

Updated on June 5, 2021

Over the past years, the vaping craze has been all over. Manufacturers of vaping devices have promoted the habit as a healthier alternative to smoking. Different brands have produced electronic cigarettes in various sizes, designs, and styles. They have done all this in a bid to attract more people to vaping. But, how true is the notion that vaping is better than smoking? 

Well, vaping is a relatively new phenomenon. That means that there is a lot that is not known about it, especially in terms of the impact it has on the health of a person. However, several organizations have investigated vaping and released their findings. Researchers are also trying to find out whether vaping is better than smoking. Nevertheless, there is still more to be investigated before experts can conclude whether vaping is better than smoking. However, preliminary investigations have provided insights that can be used to answer this question. 

What is Vaping? 

Vaping refers to an act of inhaling aerosol and exhaling vapor. An aerosol is a vapor that is produced when a vape juice or product is heated by a vaping device like a wax pen. The content of the aerosol or vapor depends on those of the used vape juice or product. 

Vaporizers can also be used. These can work with dry herbs, tobacco, or marijuana. However, the mechanism of their operation is the same. Necessarily, electronic cigarettes or vaping devices heat the content that a person wants to vaporize to produce the smoke that is inhaled. 

How does Vaping Differ from Smoking? 

Smoking entails the burning of tobacco, marijuana, or any other herb whose smoke a person inhales. On the other hand, vaping heats the substance whose vapor a person wants to inhale. Therefore, the major difference between vaping and smoking is heating and burning. 

When people use a dab pen, they heat the concentrate or the substance they want to consume and inhale the produced vapor. When a person smokes, they burn the concentrate or herb to produce the smoke that they inhale. It explains why some people consider vaping safer or better than smoking. 

Is Vaping Bad for Human Health? 

The short answer to this question is yes. Research has shown that aerosol from e-cigarettes may contain flavorings, glycerol, propylene glycol, and other chemicals. Nicotine is also a common chemical in e-cigarette aerosols. 

When consumed for a long time, aerosolized glycerol and propylene glycol can produce throat and mouth irritation and dry cough. However, no research has shown how flavoring inhalation affects the human body. 

The effects of vaping are largely dependent on the content of the e-juice that a person uses. For instance, if a person uses the best concentrate pen to vaporize nicotine-containing e-juice, they are likely to develop an addiction. That’s because nicotine is an addictive substance, regardless of how it is consumed. 

Over recent years, the vaping industry has primarily been unregulated or under-regulated. It has led to the production and sale of vaping products that didn’t meet quality standards. Consequently, some consumers suffered severe health problems after vaping these products.

After investigations, the U.S FDA and CDC linked tetrahydrocannabinol(THC)-containing vaping products or e-cigarettes from informal sources to EVALI cases. They also linked vitamin E acetate to this condition. Vitamin E acetate is standard in most vaping products that were tested by state laboratories and FDA. 

As of February 2020, 2,807 cases of EVALI have been reported from the 50 states, two U.S territories, and the District of Columbia. Patients exhibited symptoms like nausea, chest pain, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, and short breath. 

How Bad Is Smoking? 

In comparison, smoking is worse than vaping. Although even the use of the best wax pens can expose a person to adverse health effects, smoking is worse. Smoking has been identified as a major cause of most preventable deaths in most countries. For many years, anti-smoking campaigns have been launched in different countries. And, this is not without a reason. 

For every 15 cigarettes that a person smokes, they cause mutation in their body. And mutations mark the beginning of cancer. Tobacco smoke has more than 5,000 chemicals. Nicotine is one of these chemicals. This is a highly addictive substance that makes it hard for a person to quit smoking once they develop dependence. 

Most people smoke while others use devices like a wax vape pen to satisfy their nicotine cravings. However, it is chemicals like tar that harm their bodies the most. Chemicals like carbon monoxide, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide are produced when a person lights a cigarette. They inhale these chemicals and eventually sustain severe lung damage. What’s more, these chemicals are also passed to the bloodstream. Eventually, they circulate through the entire body. Thus, smoking affects all body parts, including the brain and the skin. 

That’s why smoking causes cancer, heart attacks, and stroke besides damaging the lungs. On average, the life of a smoker is reduced by 10 years in comparison to that of a non-smoker. These reasons can trigger a smoker to invest in the best vape pen for wax and switch immediately. 

So, Is Vaping Better than Smoking? 

Considering the negative effects of smoking and those of vaping, it can be argued that the later is a lesser evil. A device like a dab vape pen is battery powered, and it doesn’t require a lighter to operate. As such, vaping does not involve any form of combustion. 

That means chemicals like tar and carbon monoxide are not produced or inhale when vaping. Additionally, vaping does not produce bad odor or scent that is associated with tobacco smoking. That’s because vapers can choose from different flavors of e-juices. What’s more, if a person uses the best dab pens and quality e-liquid properly, they may avoid some of the negative effects that people associate with vaping like throat and mouth irritation. 

On the other hand, smoking is all about combustion and inhaling smoke. Whether a person smokes tobacco or marijuana, they still inhale smoke. Smoke from any source contains chemicals that have been linked to diseases like cancer. It makes smoking terrible for a smoker and those around them. 

Many smokers are investing in vaping devices like wax vaporizer and switching from smoking to vaping. 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.