What Is Vaping?
A clear guide to what vaping is, how it works and how it compares to smoking.
The short answer
Heated vapour. Inhaling vapour from a device that heats e-liquid, not smoke.
Versus smoking
No burning, so far less harmful.
Who it is for
Adult smokers looking to switch.
What is vaping?
Vaping is inhaling a vapour produced by an electronic device, rather than the smoke produced by a burning cigarette. The device heats an e-liquid into an aerosol you breathe in, with no burning and no tobacco, which is why it is far less harmful than smoking. It is also called using an e-cigarette.
It helps to think of it as nicotine without the fire. A cigarette burns tobacco and creates smoke, while a vape gently heats a simple liquid into vapour. This page explains what vaping is, how a vape works, how it compares to smoking and who it is for, so the basics are clear. Vaping is intended for adult smokers looking to switch and existing adult vapers, plus you must be eighteen or over.
Let us look at what it is, how it works, the comparison and who it is for.
There is a lot of noise around the topic, so it is worth getting the basics straight from reliable sources. The picture is a good deal clearer than the headlines often make it seem.
How a vape works
The mechanics are simple. A battery powers a coil, the coil heats a wick soaked in e-liquid, then that turns the liquid into the vapour you inhale, so nothing is ever set alight.
- Battery: powers the device, rechargeable or built in.
- Coil and wick: heat the liquid and hold it in place.
- E-liquid: a simple mix of PG, VG, flavour and nicotine.
- Vapour: what you inhale, in place of smoke.
The e-liquid itself is straightforward. UK e-liquid is made of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, plus flavourings and usually nicotine, where the nicotine is optional with 0mg options available, all tested before sale.
That short ingredient list is one of the things that sets vaping apart from smoking. There is no tobacco leaf in it at all, with nothing in the liquid that needs to be set on fire to use.
Vaping versus smoking
Illustrative, based on UK health reviews.
How vaping compares to smoking
This is where the real difference lies. A cigarette burns tobacco and releases smoke, tar and thousands of chemicals, while a vape heats a simple liquid with no combustion, which is why UK health bodies say vaping is far less harmful.
The key word is burning. When tobacco is set alight it produces tar, carbon monoxide and many chemicals known to cause cancer and other serious illness, whereas a vape produces none of that smoke. A major UK evidence review concluded that vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking in the short and medium term. That said, vaping is not risk free, while the long-term effects are still being studied, so it is not harmless. The benefit comes from stopping smoking, not from vaping in itself. This is why the advice is clear that switching fully from smoking to vaping is a big improvement, yet children, non-smokers and pregnant women should not vape.
Thinking about switching?
A simple starter kit is the easiest way to move from smoking to vaping. Browse our starter kits or ask the team for advice.
Who vaping is for
Vaping has a clear purpose, plus a clear group it is meant for. It is for adult smokers who want to switch, since it is one of the most effective stop-smoking tools, yet it is not for children, non-smokers or anyone who has never smoked.
On who it suits, vaping is widely used and recommended in the UK as a way to stop smoking, plus millions of people have switched with the help of a vape. On the goal, the aim is to replace cigarettes completely, since using both a vape and cigarettes does not give the health benefit. On stepping down, once someone is confidently smoke free they can reduce the nicotine strength over time and eventually stop vaping too, since the healthiest option is neither smoking nor vaping. On who should avoid it, children, non-smokers and pregnant women should not vape, because it is not risk free and there is no benefit to a non-smoker. The simple rule is that vaping is a tool to leave smoking behind, rather than a habit to take up for its own sake.
- For adult smokers: a tool to switch away from cigarettes.
- Switch fully: using both vape and cigarettes gives no benefit.
- Step down later: reduce nicotine and aim to stop in time.
- Not for non-smokers: children and never-smokers should not vape.
If you want to dig deeper, see our explainer on what is in a vape. It pairs well with our guide on what nicotine is and our look at how to vape.
For the full set of guides, the vaping FAQs hub brings everything together in one place.
The bottom line: vaping is inhaling vapour from a device that heats an e-liquid, rather than the smoke from a burning cigarette. A battery powers a coil that heats a wick soaked in liquid, turning it into vapour with no combustion. Because nothing burns, there is no tar or smoke, which is why UK health bodies say vaping is far less harmful than smoking. It is not risk free though, plus it is meant for adult smokers switching away from cigarettes. Children, non-smokers and pregnant women should not vape.
Ready to leave smoking behind?
A simple pod kit and a matching nic salt make switching from cigarettes as easy as possible. Our vape starter kits are easy to browse, plus the Vape Chaos team are happy to help you find a setup that suits you.
Frequently asked questions
What is vaping?
Vaping is inhaling a vapour produced by an electronic device, instead of the smoke from a burning cigarette. The device heats an e-liquid into an aerosol you breathe in. There is no tobacco and nothing is burned, which is why it is far less harmful than smoking. UK e-liquid is a simple mix of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavourings and usually nicotine. Vaping is meant for adult smokers looking to switch.
How does a vape work?
A vape works by heating, not burning. A battery powers a coil, then the coil heats a wick soaked in e-liquid, turning that liquid into the vapour you inhale. Nothing is ever set alight, so there is no smoke, tar or ash. The e-liquid is a simple mix of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, plus flavourings and usually nicotine, though 0mg nicotine-free options are available too.
Is vaping safer than smoking?
Vaping is far less harmful than smoking, though it is not risk free. A major UK evidence review found that vaping poses only a small fraction of the risks of smoking in the short and medium term, because a vape heats liquid rather than burning tobacco, so there is no tar or smoke. The long-term effects are still being studied. The health benefit comes from stopping smoking completely, not from vaping itself.
Is vaping bad for you?
Vaping is not completely harmless, plus the long-term effects are still being studied, so it is not risk free. However, for an adult who smokes, switching fully to vaping is far less harmful than continuing to smoke. The key point is that it is intended as a tool to leave cigarettes behind. Children, non-smokers and pregnant women should not vape, since there is no benefit that would justify the risk for them.
Who should vape?
Vaping is intended for adult smokers who want to switch away from cigarettes, plus it is one of the most effective stop-smoking tools in the UK. To get the benefit you need to switch fully, since vaping alongside smoking does not help. Once you are confidently smoke free you can step down the nicotine and aim to stop vaping too. Children, non-smokers and pregnant women should never vape, plus you must be eighteen or over.
