Which is less harmful to health?
Neither smoking nor vaping is beneficial to human health. Based on the available evidence, smoking appears more harmful than vaping. However, this does not mean that vaping is safe.
Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals Trusted Source. Hundreds of these chemicals are toxic, and around 70 cause cancer. The American Heart Association Trusted Source notes that while vaping liquids contain fewer contaminants than cigarettes, they are not entirely safe.
Vaping
People who vape may be at risk of harm for the following reasons:
- E-cigarettes can contain a large dose of nicotine, a substance known to slow the development of brains in fetuses, children, and teens.
- The liquid that creates the vapor is dangerous to adults and children if they swallow, inhale, or get it on their skin.
- Vaping also delivers dangerous chemicals, including diacetyl, cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Vaping may normalize smoking again as it becomes more popular.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Trusted Source, by early 2020, there had been around 2,800 hospitalizations or deaths total, with 68 of those confirmed deaths from vaping.
However, the CDC also acknowledges that since the removal of vitamin E acetate from vaping products, along with other harmful ingredients, the number of symptoms that people experience from vaping declined.
Smoking
Unlike vaping, which is relatively new, there are years of research to fully back up claims that smoking is damaging to human health. According to the CDC Trusted Source, smoking causes:
- damage to every organ in the body
- more than 480,000 deaths a year in the United States
- 90% of all lung cancer deaths
- about 80% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- an increased risk of death
- an increased risk of developing health conditions, such as heart disease and stroke
Long-term effects of smoking
Smoking has many long-term adverse effects on the body. The CDC Trusted Source reports that smoking:
- reduces sperm count
- increases the risk of pregnancy loss or congenital disabilities
- increases the risk of cataracts
- impairs immune system function
- increases general inflammation
- can cause cancer in nearly any part of the body,
- including the lungs, kidneys, and stomach
- triggers asthma attacks
- causes blockages in the veins and arteries
- increases the risk of a stroke
Long-term effects of vaping
Research generally accepts that while vaping can harm the lungs and other bodily systems, its impact is much less Trusted Source than tobacco smoking.
However, the long-term health effects of vaping found that people using e-cigarettes had a higher risk of respiratory disease than people who never smoked.
Vaping may:
- damage the lungs
- release free radicals, which promote cancer
- development, into the body
- weaken the immune system
- delay brain development in fetuses, children, and teenagers
Some people also report sustaining burns when recharging e-cigarettes due to defective batteries, leading to explosions.
Quitting smoking and vaping
Health services in the United Kingdom recommend that vaping can be an effective tool for quitting smoking. Additionally, in 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source permitted the marketing of three e-cigarette products, specifically citing their potential benefit in helping people quit smoking.
However, the CDC Trusted Source states that there is insufficient evidence to suggest vaping can help people quit smoking.
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