What is more harmful: vaping or cigarettes. Expert opinion

Many users, doctors and scientists are wondering which is more harmful – vaping or cigarettes. Several studies have been conducted on this topic in recent years. Scientists have concluded that completely abandoning classic cigarettes in favor of vaping helps improve well-being. However, it’s even better to not smoke at all. This article details why.

How the vape works

To understand what is more harmful than a cigarette or an electronic cigarette, it is worth understanding the principle of operation. The device of an electronic cigarette is quite simple. It consists of an atomizer, a heater, a liquid capsule and a battery. During heating, the fragrant liquid begins to evaporate.

But it is not smoke that is produced, as is the case with a regular cigarette, but steam. It contains nicotine, flavoring, and fragrances. If you study whether an electronic cigarette or a regular one is more harmful, you can highlight several advantages of vaping:

• low vaping temperature;
• absence of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other combustion products;
• carcinogens and free radicals, which are present in large quantities in tobacco smoke, are not formed;
• no unpleasant odor.

What is more harmful – a cigarette or a vape: a review of scientific research

However, do not think that steam does not affect health and is therefore completely safe.In fact, you need to figure out what is worse than vaping or cigarettes. To do this, it is first of all advisable to rely on the results of scientific research.

2018 Study

One of the latest was held in 2018 at the NASEM Academy (USA). A group of subjects were asked to completely give up regular cigarettes and switch to electronic ones. Thanks to this, scientists were able to find out what is more dangerous than vaping or cigarettes. The researchers concluded that in the short term, completely switching to vaping does have a positive effect on health.

The subjects noted that they began to cough less and breathe better. In general, their health has returned to normal. Moreover, they smoked without restrictions. But there was no choice between vaping or cigarettes, since as part of the experiment they were asked to use only an electronic device.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that these findings only apply to most people. On the contrary, some representatives find it more difficult to inhale steam - they begin to suffocate. In addition, e-liquids also contain nicotine. When wondering what will happen if you smoke a vape, it should be said that there are still health consequences:

• disruption of brain function;
• weakening of self-control and attention;
• increased irritability;
• increased blood pressure and pulse;
• increased load on the heart;
• risk of developing vascular diseases;
• allergic reactions to fragrances.

Research has not yet taken into account the long-term health effects of electronic devices because they are relatively new. In this sense, it is difficult to say which is better: cigarettes or electronic cigarettes.

It is also worth considering that if the user continues to use both vapes and traditional cigarettes, the harm to health increases. This is due to high consumption of nicotine, which has a negative effect on the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems.

2021 Study

Recently, scientists have again set out to study whether cigarettes or e-cigarettes are worse. This time, an international group of researchers began work. 3,700 volunteers of different ages were selected as subjects. They were divided into 2 groups:

1. The first is that users have completely switched to vaping.
2. The second is that users smoked both electronic and regular cigarettes.

A few months later, scientists measured the content of substances in the blood that stimulate oxidative processes that are dangerous to health. It was possible to find out that in the first group the number of these compounds decreased, and in the second it increased.

Based on this, we can clearly conclude that it is better to smoke – cigarettes or electronic cigarettes. Vapes are truly safer for your health. But in any case, those people who do not smoke at all have even lower levels of dangerous substances in their blood.

It is also clear that the combined use of both types of products increases the negative health effects. It has not yet been possible to establish the exact reasons for this. However, there is an assumption that those who smoke vapes and regular cigarettes receive much more nicotine and other harmful substances.

How dangerous are vapes without nicotine?

It is not enough to consider only the question of whether vaping or cigarettes is safer. You should also understand how dangerous vaping is, the liquid for which does not contain nicotine.Unfortunately, they are also harmful to health, since in any case they contain propylene glycol and glycerin.

By themselves, they are not dangerous, but when heated, aldehydes and other by-products are formed from these compounds:

• acetaldehyde (has potential carcinogenic activity);
• glyoxal (can lead to mutations);
• formaldehyde (carcinogen);
• acrolein (leads to irritation of the surface of the respiratory tract).

It turns out that smoking a vape, even without nicotine, literally poisons the body. In addition, liquids contain flavorings (for example, diacetyl), which can also negatively affect lung function.

When is vaping useful?

The studies described allow us to say unequivocally what is better – an electronic cigarette or a regular cigarette. Vaping is indeed less harmful, but even better is not smoking at all. So there is only one case where an electronic device is more useful. If a person is going to quit smoking, he should go through 2 stages:

1. Completely switch to vapes, eliminating cigarettes.
2. Completely give up vaping, i.e. from smoking in general.

Moreover, first you need to use those liquids that contain approximately the same amount of nicotine. Then purchase less and less strong liquids, and then gradually eliminate their use.

In this case, there is no need to understand what the difference is between a vape and an electronic cigarette. In fact, the principle of operation is the same, but the first models looked completely similar to ordinary cigarettes. That is why they received such a name.

From the presented review, it is quite clear that cigarettes or vaping without nicotine are more harmful. If you arrange all the options by degree of harmfulness, you will get the following list (in descending order):

1. Cigarettes.
2. Vape with nicotine.
3. Vape without nicotine.
4. Complete smoking cessation.

Obviously, which is better - smoking or vaping. Electronic devices are not as dangerous compared to classic products. However, if a person does not smoke, there is no point in starting to do so. And if he wants to quit, an electronic device will help him.