Since they first appeared on the market, e-cigarettes and vapes have attracted mixed opinions. Their effects on human health remain disputed and surrounded by speculation. Let's separate fact from fiction.
Why myths about vaping are harmful
Preconceptions often influence our decisions, including the decision to quit smoking. For example, some believe e-cigarettes are just as harmful as conventional cigarettes. Someone who accepts that as true and wants to quit may look for other options, such as nicotine patches, gum or sprays.
Those tools, however, may not be enough. Quitting smoking requires a comprehensive approach — for example, using patches, medication and e-cigarettes together. Without one of those elements, there is a risk of failing and returning to smoking.
That is how misconceptions can cause real harm.
Myth one: vaping is as harmful as tobacco cigarettes
Smoking tobacco cigarettes produces highly toxic smoke containing carbon monoxide, carcinogenic tar, lead, potassium, radium and many other substances. This smoke causes cardiovascular disease and damages the respiratory system.
A vape produces vapour rather than smoke, based on water, glycerine and propylene glycol. This vapour contains only 60–80 substances and has no carbon monoxide or tar.
E-cigarettes are available with different nicotine levels. Unlike conventional cigarettes, a vape lets users control their nicotine intake and gradually reduce the dose.
Myth two: vaping costs more than smoking tobacco cigarettes
E-cigarettes vary in price, from expensive kits to budget models. On average, they cost RUB 1,000–2,000 and provide 4,000–6,000 puffs. Even for someone who smokes a pack a day, one vape lasts roughly a month. Vaping therefore works out much cheaper than smoking tobacco cigarettes. Cigarette prices also keep rising, while the vape market is more stable.
Myth three: vapes are designed for a young audience
The inventor of e-cigarettes wanted to create a replacement for conventional cigarettes that was more environmentally friendly and less harmful, while keeping the experience as similar to smoking as possible so the brain could adjust more easily. In other words, vapes were not originally conceived as a trendier, more fashionable cigarette alternative aimed at young people. E-cigarettes are now also popular among adults, including many well-known actors, musicians and entrepreneurs who want to give up the harmful habit.
Myth four: vape vapour contains aldehydes
Aldehydes are compounds that negatively affect the nervous system and irritate the lining of the eyes and nose. Vapour can indeed contain aldehydes, but only if an e-cigarette is defective or running low on liquid. Looking after your device and replacing the liquid in time should keep everything in order.
Myth five: vaping does not help people quit smoking
One of the most common misconceptions is that e-cigarettes do not help people quit smoking, but merely replace one method with another, albeit a less harmful one.
E-cigarettes are certainly no cure-all: persistence and other tools are needed alongside vaping. But vaping has already been shown to help people quit. According to a survey, 74% of people who tried to stop smoking with e-cigarettes and medication succeeded.
Myth six: secondhand vaping is as harmful as secondhand smoke
The toxic compounds in cigarette smoke harm even non-smokers. Someone who regularly stays close to a smoker and inhales toxic smoke risks developing lung cancer. Smoke is particularly harmful to children, causing respiratory illness, pneumonia and bronchitis. By contrast, researchers in 2018 found no identified risks to bystanders from inhaling vapour. That does not mean you can vape anywhere, of course: other people may find its strong smell unpleasant.
Myth seven: vaping is completely harmless
Although medical researchers have repeatedly shown that vaping is less harmful than conventional cigarettes, it may still damage human health. Nicotine consumption cannot be completely safe. Even nicotine-free e-cigarettes can have negative health effects. For example, diacetyl in some flavourings can cause lung inflammation and narrowing of the airways. Propylene glycol, another e-liquid ingredient, can contribute to asthma, bronchitis and allergies.
If someone who has never smoked decides to use e-cigarettes, that too can harm their health. This misconception is therefore no less dangerous than the others.
