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Everything You Want To Know About Vaping vs Smoking

Everything You Want To Know About Vaping vs Smoking

Vaping vs smoking: which is better?

 Well, saying which is categorically 'better' is hard. But despite the fact it hasn't been a mainstream activity for long, more than 9 million adults now vape regularly in the United States.

While it ultimately comes down to your own personal choice, vaping and smoking can be compared across multiple areas to consider the pros and cons of each. There are a lot of opinions out there about vaping vs smoking. Is vaping better for your health? Which costs more? We're getting to the bottom of it! Here's the vaping vs smoking showdown you've been waiting for:


Smoking is known to cause harm for several reasons. The first is the number of chemicals found in tobacco smoke which are harmful to smokers and the people around them. Inhalation of these chemicals leads to cancer, but also bronchitis and other chronic respiratory diseases. They also can contribute to heart attacks, strokes, and aneurysms. The heat is also known to cause health problems. It damages the tissues in the lips, tongue, and cheeks, which can lead to the development of mouth and tongue cancers.

Even if you're not smoking tobacco, this is still a cause for concern. The smoke from any herb will still affect your lungs and throat too, even if it doesn't contain all the harmful chemicals found in a cigarette.

Research in the UK has found that vaping is around 95% less harmful than smoking. Vaping won't produce tar, or anywhere near the same amount of carcinogens as smoking. In case you didn't already know, carcinogens are chemicals which cause cancer. In fact, a university study has shown that the people vaping are inhaling less than 1% of the dangerous materials they would if they smoked a cigarette. That's more or less what a nicotine spray, used to help people quit smoking, would deliver.

The health round of our vaping vs smoking rundown is awarded to vaping.


Vaping has a higher upfront cost. A pack of smokes might set you back around $5 or $6 if you live in Kentucky, or closer to $10 in Alaska. Or anywhere in between. It really depends on where you live. That's cheaper than a vape pen, which at the low end cost around $30 to $40. And many people choose to invest in larger, non-portable vapers for home use too, which can cost up to nearly $500 in total (though the higher end stuff is pretty cool).

That might sound expensive, but remember that smokers aren't just buying $6 pack. They're buying thousands. In fact, they're spending between $1 million and $2 million in their lifetime on cigarettes. That's pretty crazy, and certainly puts a $500 investment into perspective. You can use a vaporizer over and over, and it'll remain in good working order for years if you take good care of it and clean it well.

All you need to buy are your dried herbs. And though your choice of what to vape will affect the overall cost, at least this is under your control. With tobacco, there's little choice - there aren't massive price differences from brand to brand.

Also, note that vaping is far more efficient than smoking. With smoking, you're burning up your herbs before inhaling. You won't even inhale it all. While you're holding that cigarette and chatting, it's going to waste. Vaping, well, it vaporizes. It doesn't burn the material, so none is wasted. Meaning that you get more for your money.

Vaping has the cost battle sewn up - at least in the long term, so the cost round of our vaping vs smoking rundown is awarded to vaping.


Smoking is normally quite a social activity. You'll pop outside for a cigarette and chat with other smokers, striking up a conversation when someone asks for a light.

You can't offer a light if you only vape, but there's no reason not to say hello to a smoker. Since you can't vape indoors in many places, if you carry a vape pen you're still likely to meet the same people. So you're not missing out. And fellow vapers will be out there too. You might break the ice by asking about what flavor vape juice they're using, or what herb they've packed into their vape.

It's also true that non-smokers are sometimes less keen to hang out with smokers while they're lighting up. They don't want smelly clothes or the damage of second-hand smoke, which can make smoking a lonely affair if you're the only smoker. Vaporizers produce vapor, not smoke, and it smells like the flavor of e-juice you've chosen, or the herbs you're vaping. And it also doesn't linger as long, so if anyone doesn't like the smell it'll clear up fast enough anyway.

On the other hand, it's hard to share a vape - and definitely a bit weirder than sharing something to smoke. If people don't know how to use it properly, they might find it frustrating - and so will you as you'll have to teach them. And you may have to wait for your vaporizer to heat up before you get going at all.

Vaping vs smoking as a socializing tool? Pretty much a draw in our eyes, but vaping edges over the line since it doesn't tend to alienate non-smokers.


As we said right at the start - this comes down to your own personal preferences and choices. We've known for a long time that smoking is harmful. But people still choose to smoke, and that's up to them. 

However, we have to say that vaping (in our humble opinion) trumps smoking. It's better for you, costs less in the long run, and doesn't cause non-smokers to avoid you.

Of course, we're slightly biased, but only because we already know how awesome vaping is compared to smoking. When you look at some of the amazing technology behind it, and try it out for the first time, we're sure you'll be hooked too.

Got any questions? We'd love to take them. Get in touch, or browse our store to learn more about vaping.