Is Vaping Just as Bad as Smoking?

The number of teens vaping declined substantially in 2024 compared to 2023. However, it is still a prevalent issue for the youth of today. According to 2024 findings from the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 1.63 million middle and high school students reported that they currently use e-cigarettes (i.e. the devices used to vape). Teens today are more aware of the risks vaping poses than they were when e-cigarettes first came out. However, smoking is still considered to be far more dangerous than vaping. This begs the question: could vaping be just as bad as smoking?

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The Risks of Vaping: Health Effects

While conventionally, it is thought vaping is safer than smoking, the long-term effects of it are not yet known. It's important to remember that back when smoking first became popular, many people were unaware of its effects until later studies were done, and new information came out. And, even now, according to the National Library of Medicine, “vaping has been found to cause similar effects as smoking on lung function and cardiovascular function.”

According to the CDC, the nicotine in e-cigarettes is bad for your health. It is an addictive substance. It is particularly harmful to young people because it can harm brain development. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, e-cigarette users may consume more nicotine than traditional smokers, since they can buy extra-strength cartridges that have a high concentration of nicotine. Those trying to stop taking nicotine also suffer from withdrawal. E-cigarettes may also contain other harmful substances, like cancer-causing chemicals. For young people, vaping has consequences for mental health—they may use e-cigarettes to help with anxiety and depression, but the nicotine addiction they can develop from vaping may make these conditions worse.

Perhaps the biggest issue with e-cigarettes is how modern they are. We simply don't know enough about them. But just because we don't have all the information about how hazardous the chemicals in e-cigarettes are doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. Even in just the last few years, new information has been uncovered about the threats vaping poses to health. We don't understand vaping well enough to suggest that it is a better alternative or good way to quit smoking.

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How Vaping Leads to Smoking

Even if vaping is considered a healthier option (which may not turn out to be the case once we have access to long-term research into its effects), it can sometimes lead to smoking, especially for young people. As established, e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is very addictive. This means teens using them may start to look for other products containing nicotine - like cigarettes. According to the BMJ, studies from the UK and the US found that people who vaped in their early teens were twice as likely to smoke in their late teens. They also failed to find evidence suggesting that vaping helps teens quit traditional smoking.

The Environmental Impacts of Vaping

Vaping isn't just bad for teens. It's also harming the environment. Plastic e-cigarettes cannot be recycled, and there are millions of them produced every year. For some countries, this makes meeting zero plastic waste goals immeasurably more difficult to reach. We don't even have access to scientific information on the full extent to which these devices harm the environment. However, according to the National Library of Medicine, we do know that when improperly discarded, e-cigarettes release toxic chemicals into the environment (leading to health issues in both humans and animals), and contribute to not one but multiple types of waste, such as biohazard, plastic, and electronic waste. Although regulation of vape disposal differs around the world, in most countries it is not sufficient. It is vital that more awareness is raised around this issue.

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Conclusion

So, is vaping as bad as smoking? The answer - we don't know. While current information says smoking is worse for your health, we don't know the long-term effects of e-cigarettes. Even if we decide that smoking is worse, vaping in youth can still lead to smoking in adulthood. Worse, it's not only harming people, but the environment as well. Overall, it's in everyone's best interest to discourage both smoking and vaping.