Are you trying to quit smoking? If so, you may have heard about using electronic cigarettes in order to quit. While research is still being done to determine the positive and negative effects of vaping, or using an e cig, many will agree that it is far safer than smoking a tobacco cigarette. If you’re considering vaping, you would join the 2.5 million (and counting) adults in the United States who have also made the switch.

Take a look at this breakdown on vaping vs smoking, so you can make an informed decision about how to quit.

Smoking

People turn to smoking for many different reasons, but above all, most people say that it helps them relax. This may not be entirely accurate, however, given that smoking speeds up your heart rate. Cigarettes contain a number of ingredients that are shown to be toxic, including tar, ammonia, and cancer-causing carcinogens. Smoking-related illnesses, including cancer, emphysema, and heart disease, are some of the leading causes of death in adults. In addition to the negative health effects of smoking, cigarettes are expensive and can cost hundreds of dollars per month for heavy smokers.

Vaping

First, one thing that people need to understand is that vaping isn’t the same as smoking. Vapor cigarettes, also known as disposable or rechargeable electronic cigarettes, use “e liquid” to produce a vapor. While vaping may not be perfect, given that most e liquids contain nicotine, there are varieties of e liquid that are made without any nicotine at all. So far, no long-term illnesses have been associated with vaping. In terms of cost, vaping tends to be far more inexpensive. A rechargeable electronic cigarette will only require fairly inexpensive e liquid refills in order to be used again and again.

Vaping vs Smoking: How Do They Stack Up?

When evaluating the health effects of vaping vs smoking, vaping is the clear winner. However, there is one growing similarity between these two activities. Just as smoking has been banned in most public places, vaping is now also seeing public bans throughout the country. Using a vapor cigarette in the privacy of one’s own home, however, comes with very few, if any, restrictions.

Do you have more questions about vaping, smoking, and quitting smoking? Leave a comment below.