The Side Effects and Cancer Risk Associated with Vaping

Health Differences and Similarities Between Cigarettes and Electronic Cigarettes

Medically reviewed by Mary Zamost, quality care coordinator at Network Health
5/29/2024

The concept of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, has existed for almost a century. Their popularity, however, has only risen over the past couple decades after being further developed and successfully marketed in the mid- to late-2000s.

There are multiple reasons for this increase in popularity of e-cigarettes, commonly called vape pens or devices due to the vapor they emit. For some, it’s a hobby to explore the varied vaping devices and wide range of flavors. For others, vaping is a means of quitting smoking typical tobacco cigarettes. Whatever the reason, the question must be asked whether vaping is a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. After all, e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco. They do, however, often contain nicotine, which is the addictive substance found in tobacco.

Can Vaping Cause Cancer?

But apart from the nicotine, e-cigarettes are surely healthier than traditional cigarettes, right? Well, not as much as some might think.

Tobacco cigarettes contain thousands of toxic chemicals. While many of these are not present in e-cigarettes, there are toxic chemicals being inhaled when vaping. Tobacco cigarettes have decades of medical research about the dangers of their use, the research for vape products is still catching up. Therefore, there is still some uncertainty about what chemicals can be found in e-cigarettes and what their long-term effects might be. Some suspected substances include volatile organic compounds that can do damage to the liver, kidneys and nervous system, and formaldehyde, which can cause cancer. Flavored products may also contain chemicals linked to lung disease.

Most people know that traditional cigarettes contain carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents. While e-cigarettes may not contain as many, the aerosol vapor that users breathe in does contain some cancer-causing chemicals.

Other Health Impacts of Vaping

But cancer isn’t the only potential health impact of using e-cigarettes. A potentially fatal condition known as EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping product use Associated Lung Injury) can do damage to the lungs that results in coughing, shortness of breath or chest pain. Lung scarring and an increased likelihood of developing asthma is also possible.

Other organs potentially impacted by vaping include the heart and brain. This is of particular concern in young people, as nicotine can inhibit brain development.

Vape Use Among Young People

Young people are not the only ones using vapes, but as with cigarette use decades ago, there are unique ways vape use is being advertised to and targeted at young people. In 2023, e-cigarette use among middle and high school students was 7.7 percent, or 2.1 million young people.

Ads for tobacco products are not allowed on television or other media, but they are allowed for e-cigarettes, causing young people to encounter ads for vape products online, on TV or elsewhere. Vaping may also appeal to young people due to the wide array of available flavored vape products, including fruit or candy flavors. As with cigarettes, there can be social pressure to try e-cigarettes as well.

Addictive Properties Between Tobacco Cigarettes and Vapes

Nicotine is the reason people become addicted to smoking cigarettes and consuming other tobacco products. Since e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, many mistakenly assume that they have no nicotine and are therefore not addictive. But many vape products do contain nicotine. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of March 2022, 81 percent of all e-cigarettes sold were considered high-nicotine products.

So e-cigarettes can be just as addictive as traditional tobacco cigarettes. In fact, it could be argued that becoming addicted to vaping is easier than it may be with cigarettes due to factors such as the availability of pleasant flavors and the lack of odor. Since vape products do not emit smoke, only an aerosol vapor, it can be easier to find locations to continue vaping while indoors rather than waiting until one is outside, as would be typical with traditional cigarettes.

Using Vaping to Quit Smoking Cigarettes

Another question to consider is whether vaping is an effective means of quitting smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes. Though some have relied on this method, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any e-cigarette devices for use as a smoking cessation tool. The FDA does acknowledge, however, that e-cigarette may help some adults reduce or move away from traditional cigarette use, but as mentioned above, more research is necessary to fully understand the safety and health impacts of vaping.

Of course, replacing traditional cigarettes with a vaping device that also contains nicotine is not likely to help users beat their nicotine addiction. Thankfully, there are some FDA approved products that can help.

What’s the Best Way to Quit Smoking or Vaping?

One effective means is Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). NRT gradually reduces the amount of nicotine your body consumers over time, but unlike smoking or vaping, your body is not exposed to any harmful chemicals. The nicotine can be delivered via skin patches, chewing gum or lozenges, available over the counter to those age 18 or older.

Some prescription products for NRT are also available. These include nicotine spray and nicotine inhalers.

Not all smoking cessation products contain nicotine, though. Prescription options that have no nicotine in them include varenicline tartrate and bupropion hydrochloride. The former blocks nicotine’s effect on the brain that makes you want to smoke, while the latter is an antidepressant that can help with some withdrawal symptoms experienced when quitting smoking.

[Read more: Committing to Quitting]