Smoking marijuana, also called weed, can make you feel relaxed, get you high, or even help with nausea, pain, or other health issues (especially if you are using medically-legal weed). However, smoking marijuana comes with its own set of health effects as well. Although many people believe that vaping has no harmful health effects and that it is safer than smoking, many studies have shown that this isn’t necessarily true — it’s the effects of smoking and vaping that vary depending on the situation.

 Smoking vs. Vaping: The Health Effects of Each

Addictive Qualities

The addictive qualities of smoking and vaping are different and come with unique health effects that should be considered when making the decision to start either habit. Smoking is highly addictive, with nicotine dependence levels measured with FTND being over times higher among e-cigarette users smokers than among non-users smokers. 

The health risks associated with smoking are almost universally agreed upon by doctors, scientists, and nonsmokers alike to be exceedingly dangerous and detrimental to one's health. 

The benefits of vaping as a harm reduction tool need to be weighed against its potential dangers when deciding if it is right for you. Nicotine has been shown in multiple studies to have an effect on physical fitness which would require further investigation into how long-term use affects cardiovascular health. Smoking has also been shown to have many deleterious effects on health including cancer, respiratory disease, stroke, heart attack, and emphysema.

Mental Risks

The greatest risk when vaping is the use of nicotine, which is highly addictive and can cause many disorders in the long run. 

Nicotine also has illness-inducing properties, making it a health concern to those who vape or smoke. Other chemicals found in cigarettes like tar and carbon monoxide are not present in e-cigarettes. Smoking effects on mental health include increased anxiety levels, higher stress response (anxiety), lower attention span, memory issues, depression, and more severe cases of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Chemical Differences

Chemically, smoking and vaping have a number of similarities, but they are also very different in many ways. There is an assessment that needs to be done to understand the health effects of each. When you smoke tobacco, you inhale a variety of chemicals into your body and bloodstream at once, which can lead to a wide range of reactions depending on what the person is sensitive to. The chemical reaction people may experience when they vape can vary because the nicotine content isn't as high with this type of inhalation method and there is no tar or carbon monoxide present with vaping or other substances that are carcinogens for smokers.

The popularity of vaping vs cigarettes

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable death, killing around 480,000 Americans each year and contributing to the deaths of another 500,000 people annually worldwide. 

Nicotine addiction, cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke, and the effects on people's health are the main reasons why smoking has been so prevalent for centuries. In recent years, vaping has become popular as an alternative to smoking cigarettes that contains nicotine and weed. With more than 20 million Americans switching from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes (vape pens), it's no surprise that vaping is on the rise among young people too.

How do we know what's in the vapor?

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell what's in the vapor you inhale from vaping, but it's unlikely to contain as many cancer-causing chemicals as cigarette smoke does. One study found that e-cigarettes release toxins in the air, just like other tobacco products do--but at a lower level than cigarettes do. There are also studies that show that second-hand vapor does not contain high levels of nicotine or other toxic substances found in cigarette smoke. The FDA is currently studying the health effects of vaping and will soon issue new regulations for e-cigarette companies and their products, including flavors and ingredients used in these products.

Misconceptions about flavorings in e-cigarettes

Many people are under the misconception that e-cigarettes contain only nicotine, but this is not true. E-cigarettes can also be loaded with flavorings such as menthol and chocolate, which many smokers find appealing because they help cover the taste and smell of tobacco smoke. The problem with these flavorings is that they may contain acetyl propionyl or acetoin, which are both chemicals that have been linked to respiratory conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

E-cigarettes do have some health benefits over traditional smoking because they lack most of the carcinogens that cigarettes contain like tar and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) because e-cigs use liquid nicotine instead of combustible tobacco.

How does e-cig vapor compare with cigarette smoke?

E-cig vapor is nothing like cigarette smoke, and the health effects are different. E-cigs don't contain tobacco, which means there's no risk of lung cancer or emphysema. Nicotine is also not addictive to e-cig users, and so far there's no evidence that these devices cause cancer or other major diseases in adults who do not already smoke cigarettes. Studies have found that e-cig vapor contains fewer toxic chemicals than cigarette smoke does, and it doesn't release carbon monoxide--but this doesn't mean it's safe. Researchers still need to study the long-term health effects on children and adults who use them regularly, but they're less likely to suffer from some of the cancers caused by smoking cigarettes, such as mouth and throat cancer.

Harm reduction isn’t going away - so what do we need to know?

You might have read about vaping’s health benefits in the past few years, but it’s still important to be mindful of the potential risks. Smoking is bad for your health, and it can result in nicotine addiction that leads to smoking-related illnesses like COPD or lung cancer. But smoking tobacco cigarettes doesn’t just carry health risks - tobacco smoke pollutes the air we breathe with a lot of toxic chemicals, too. 

However, there are some health benefits associated with vaping: because e-cigarettes don’t produce secondhand smoke and often use nicotine without other harmful substances found in tobacco cigarettes (like tar), they are generally considered safer than smoking cigarettes. Health professionals agree that using an e-cigarette is better than using a traditional cigarette because you will no longer be exposed to the dangerous chemicals found in traditional tobacco products. 

Additionally, some experts believe that switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes may actually help smokers quit altogether by offering them a less harmful alternative as they gradually reduce their nicotine intake over time.

What can I say to my friends and loved ones who vape?

Here are some facts that may help you in your conversation with friends who vape.

E-cigarettes contain fewer harmful chemicals than regular cigarettes, but they are not harmless.

Regular cigarette smoking is linked to a higher risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke; e-cigarette use is also linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer among other health risks. E-cigarette use has been shown to be less addictive than traditional cigarettes because it contains less nicotine content and does not deliver the same amount of tar as a regular cigarette does. However, vaping can still lead to addiction if the e-liquid is high in the nicotine content or contains other harmful substances such as formaldehyde or heavy metals like chromium or nickel.

Conclusion

It's clear that the health effects of smoking cigarettes are much more detrimental than the health effects of vaping, but it is also important to note that there are many other factors to consider when deciding whether or not you should vape. For example, if you are a smoker who has been smoking for 40 years and has tried everything to quit then vaping may not be the best option for you as it could lead to weight gain, addiction, and withdrawal symptoms.