1. Vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes but is still unsafe and can cause lung injuries and death. E-cigarettes contain many unknown chemicals and ingredients that are harmful. 2. Research suggests that vaping negatively impacts heart and lung health by raising blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack, and being linked to chronic lung disease and asthma. 3. Nicotine found in both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes is highly addictive and e-cigarettes may contain even higher concentrations of nicotine that are addictive.

1. f you have thought about trying to kick a smoking habit, you’re not alone. Nearly 7 of
10 smokers say they want to stop. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can
do for your health — smoking harms nearly every organ in your body, including your
heart. Nearly one-third of deaths from heart disease are the result of smoking and
secondhand smoke.
You might be tempted to turn to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes, vape pens, and
other nondisposable and disposable vaping devices) as a way to ease the transition
from traditional cigarettes to not smoking at all. But is smoking e-cigarettes (also
called vaping) better for you than using tobacco products? Can e-cigarettes help you
to stop smoking once and for all? Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., director of clinical
research at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart
Disease, shares health information about vaping.
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it’s still not safe.
E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to
create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000
chemicals, many of which are toxic. While we don’t know exactly what chemicals are
in e-cigarettes, Blaha says “There’s almost no doubt that vaping exposes you to
fewer toxic chemicals than smoking traditional cigarettes.”
However, there has been an outbreak of lung injuries and deaths associated with
vaping. In February 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
confirmed 2,807 cases of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI)
and 68 deaths attributed to that condition.
“These cases appear to predominantly affect people who modify their vaping devices
or use black market modified e-liquids. This is especially true for vaping products
containing THC,” explains Blaha.
The CDC has identified vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern among people
with EVALI. Vitamin E acetate is a thickening agent often used in THC vaping
products, and it was found in all lung fluid samples of EVALI patients examined by
the CDC.
The CDC recommends that people:
● Do not use THC-containing e-cigarettes or vaping products.
● Avoid using informal sources, such as friends, family or online dealers to
obtain a vaping device.

2. ● Do not modify or add any substances to a vaping device that are not intended
by the manufacturer.
Research from The Johns Hopkins University on vape ingredients published in
October 2021 reveals thousands of chemical ingredients in vape products, most of
which are not yet identified. Among those the team could identify were several
potentially harmful substances, including caffeine, three chemicals never previously
found in e-cigarettes, a pesticide and two flavorings linked with possible toxic effects
and respiratory irritation.
2: Research suggests vaping is bad for your heart and lungs.
Nicotine is the primary agent in regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and it is highly
addictive. It causes you to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if you
ignore the craving. Nicotine is a toxic substance. It raises your blood pressure and
spikes your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having
a heart attack.
Is vaping bad for you? There are many unknowns about vaping, including what
chemicals make up the vapor and how they affect physical health over the long term.
“People need to understand that e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous to your
health,” says Blaha. “Emerging data suggests links to chronic lung disease and
asthma, as well as associations between dual use of e-cigarettes and smoking with
cardiovascular disease. You’re exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we
don’t yet understand and that are probably not safe.”
3: Electronic cigarettes are just as addictive as traditional
ones.
Both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes contain nicotine, which research suggests
may be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. What’s worse, says Blaha, many
e-cigarette users get even more nicotine than they would from a combustible
tobacco product: Users can buy extra-strength cartridges, which have a higher
concentration of nicotine, or increase the e-cigarette’s voltage to get a greater hit of
the substance.

3. Does Vaping Lead to Smoking?
Vaping and e-cigarettes are sometimes promoted as ways to help cigarette smokers
quit. But what about the reverse? Can vaping lead to regular cigarette smoking later
on?
Read more about vaping and cigarettes
4: Electronic cigarettes aren’t the best smoking cessation tool.
Although they’ve been promoted as an aid to help you quit smoking, e-cigarettes
have not received Food and Drug Administration approval as smoking cessation
devices. A recent study found that most people who intended to use e-cigarettes to
kick the nicotine habit ended up continuing to use traditional and e-cigarettes.
In light of the EVALI outbreak, the CDC advises people who use e-cigarettes for
smoking cessation to weigh the risks and benefits and first consider use of other
FDA-approved smoking cessation options.
5: A new generation is getting hooked on nicotine.
Among youth, e-cigarettes, especially the disposable kind, are more popular than
any traditional tobacco product. According to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco
Survey, more than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students reported using
e-cigarettes in 2021, with more than 8 in 10 of those youth using flavored
e-cigarettes.
According to Blaha, there are three reasons e-cigarettes may be particularly enticing
to young people. First, many teens believe vaping is less harmful than smoking.
Second, e-cigarettes have a lower per-use cost than traditional cigarettes. Finally,

4. youths and adults find the lack of smoke appealing. With no smell, e-cigarettes
reduce some of the stigma of smoking.
“What I find most concerning about the rise of vaping is that people who would’ve
never smoked otherwise, especially youth, are taking up the habit,” says Blaha. “It’s
one thing if you convert from cigarette smoking to vaping. It’s quite another thing to
start up nicotine use with vaping. And, getting hooked on nicotine often leads to
using traditional tobacco products down the road.”
Research from the CDC shows that vaping among youth has declined somewhat
since 2020. Kids being stuck at home under their parents’ supervision during the
COVID-19 pandemic could contribute to that trend.
But, Blaha says, interpreting the data is tricky, since young people change their
preferences often, and, when surveyed, may not consider using disposable products
such as “puff bars” as vaping. The same CDC report says disposable e-cigarette use
has increased 1,000% among high school students and 400% among middle school
students since 2019.
Vaping and the COVID-19 Pandemic
When the coronavirus pandemic first began, Blaha says, data show that e-cigarette
sales went down, possibly because people were spending more time at home and
avoiding stores and public areas.
But Blaha sees a trend that concerns him: rising rates of daily e-cigarette use
among all vape users. “The number of people who vaped daily used to be 1 in 5, but
now it’s up quite a bit, which is concerning because it implies more nicotine
addiction. I’m keeping a close eye on that.”
Vaping, smoking and other lung irritants can compound the respiratory problems
associated with COVID-19.
Want to quit smoking?
There’s a strong link between smoking and cardiovascular disease, and between
smoking and cancer. But the sooner you quit, the quicker your body can rebound
and repair itself. Talk to your doctor about which smoking cessation program or tools
would be best for you.