The question “why do people vape” is one with many answers. All of the reasons that someone would vape will generally have to do with vaping providing some form of an experience that they are seeking.  Vaping itself is the inhaling of vaporized liquid (known as e-liquid or e-juice) into your lungs through a device known as a personal vaporizer.  The way this process is completed is by an attached battery providing power to a circuit when a button of the device is pushed.  This contact engages a heating element which vaporizes liquid that is held in an onboard tank.  This vapor is inhaled into the lungs, then expelled by breathing.  Inside of the vaporized liquid are several substances found in medical inhalers along with natural flavorings and a specific amount of liquid nicotine.

There are multiple levels of nicotine in each e-liquid, so the ingestion of nicotine is not always the reason that people choose to vape.  Although it is certainly a reason for a large amount of the people who choose to vape the varieties of levels of nicotine can come into play as well.  People who are interested in quitting smoking may choose vaping as it gives them the ability to effectively control the nicotine intake, and gradually step it down over time.  Through choosing a lower level of nicotine in the e-liquid along with modifications to the actual personal vaporizer, a person can achieve the exact level of nicotine ingestion with each draw off the device, reducing their cravings for nicotine over time.  This control provides a smoother quitting experience with less hard levels of cravings and therefor a lesser propensity to go back to cigarettes just because they are not getting the amount of nicotine that is satisfactory.  Once a zero level of nicotine is comfortably reached, the person can then begin to transition away from the rituals of smoking in a more effective manner, and with less cravings.

The flavor choices that vaping provides is another reason that people might choose to vape.  As opposed to e-cigarettes which only come in a limited amount of flavors, vaping provides an almost unlimited amount of choices.  Many people enjoy the flavor combinations and also enjoy the feeling that the vapor provides as it is inhaled, whether it contains the added element of nicotine or not.  In this capacity, vaping can be compared to eating or drinking flavorful foods.  People who are seeking flavor and who are worried about the caloric intake that snacking brings along with it may choose vaping as a substitute for sugary or salty snacks.  While vaping will probably never be recognized as a dietary aid, it certainly can provide flavor and enjoyment without the calories!

All this being said, everyone who chooses to vape does it for their own reasons.  There is no set in stone “reason that people vape” and instead they each have their own reasons behind it. If the alternative is smoking cigarettes, then vaping is a far healthier choice.  If you are doing it for the sheer enjoyment of the practice, then vape on!