Is Vaping Safe? What Vapes Do to Your Body, the Real Risks and How to Quit

Vapes (e-cigarettes) heat a liquid, usually containing nicotine, into a vapour you inhale. They don’t burn tobacco, so they avoid the tar and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke. But “less harmful than smoking” is not the same as safe.

Imagine starting with a fruit-flavoured vape “just at parties” and, a year later, reaching for it within minutes of waking up. Nicotine addiction can build quietly, and it is much easier to avoid than to undo.

What is in a vape

• Nicotine, which is highly addictive
• Propylene glycol and glycerine, which make the vapour
• Flavourings
• Illegal or unregulated vapes may contain other harmful substances

The known risks

• Nicotine addiction, particularly in teenagers and young adults, whose brains are still developing
• Coughing, throat irritation and breathing symptoms
• Unknown long-term effects, because vapes are relatively new
• Serious lung injuries linked mainly to illicit vapes containing cannabis oils
• Battery fires and nicotine poisoning if children swallow the liquid

Where health bodies differ

The UK’s health services say vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking and can help adult smokers quit. The World Health Organization is more cautious, stressing the harms, the lack of long-term evidence and the rise in young people vaping. Both agree on one thing: if you don’t smoke, don’t start vaping.

How to quit vaping

• Step down your nicotine strength gradually
• Set a quit date and remove vapes from your bag and car
• Ask a pharmacist about nicotine replacement products for cravings
• Use a local stop-smoking service; most also help people quit vaping

But I switched from cigarettes. Should I stop vaping too?

Switching completely from smoking to vaping reduces harm, and staying off cigarettes is the priority. When you feel ready, aim to stop vaping as well, reducing the nicotine strength step by step.

Sources: World Health Organization, “Electronic cigarettes”; NHS, “Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking”; US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “E-cigarettes (vapes)”. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or pharmacist.