What is the difference between smoking and vaping?

This is a common question asked by people who are considering switching from smoking to vaping, as well as people who are in proximity to those who are vaping.  There are many potential regulations of vaping that are currently being discussed in governmental bodies across the United States, and all of them are based upon some form of information or misinformation regarding vaping being compared to smoking.  From a regulatory standpoint, many people want to define smoking and vaping as the same thing, when the facts behind the discussion do not support that categorization.  In a nutshell, vaping and smoking are not the same, and involve completely different processes and effects.  Because these two things are so different, categorizing them as the same is not good policy.

So what is the difference between smoking and vaping? Smoking by definition is the inhalation of a burned product into the lungs, the product generally being tobacco.  Through a cigarette, cigar or pipe the tobacco is burned and the smoke that is produced is inhaled into the lungs.  Specific chemicals in the smoke are absorbed by the body producing a variety of effects.  The smoke and chemicals that are not absorbed by the body are then exhaled, producing a measurable amount of particulate matter into the surrounding air, which can be then inhaled and absorbed by people in close proximity to the smoker.  This is the danger in second-hand smoke, in that the smoke that is introduced to the environment by the smoker can have a negative effect on those who are not smoking.  This is the basis for the Clean Indoor Air Act and many regulations that apply to smoking indoors.

Vaping is not smoking, and does not involve the process of burning a substance like tobacco.  Vaping is using an electronic device to create a vapor mixture from a liquid, which is known as an e-juice or e-liquid.  This vapor is inhaled into the lungs and the residual vapor is expelled by the person vaping.  The crucial difference between smoking and vaping when it comes to regulations and understanding of the effects on people in close proximity to someone who is vaping is as follows, vaping does not produce the same measurable introduction of particulate matter into the environment that smoking does.  Although many studies have been done on the subject, the most important and thorough study of particulate matter produced by vaping was done by the Drexel University School of Public Health, and which found that in order to measure even a fraction of the amounts of particulate matter introduced into the air that smoking does, over 100 draws on an electronic cigarette or personal vaporizer would need to be done.  To repeat, you would need over 100 draws from a vaping device to produce even a fraction of the volume of particulate matter that a single draw on a cigarette does.  Even more important is that the study has shown that the amount of particulate matter produced through vaping which is introduced into the environment is no more than the existing level of particulate matter in outdoor air.  In a nutshell, second-hand vapor does not introduce a measurable danger to the public surrounding a person who is vaping, but smoking does.

In order to create a situation where people make a decision as to where people can vape, or if you are a smoker who is considering switching to vaping in order to avoid the negative effects of smoking, you must first understand the differences between the two things.  Vaping is not smoking and smoking is not vaping, no more than a skateboard should be considered as a car because they both have four wheels.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us directly and let us know you read our article, and as always we encourage you to try our vaping products and e-liquids.  Compare them to the competition and we are sure you will be convinced!