Vaping frequently asked questions

Evidence shows that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking tobacco. As vaping products don’t contain or burn tobacco, the harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke are either not there, or present in much lower amounts. Swapping to vaping is likely to have substantial health benefits over continuing to smoke. That said, vaping products are not risk-free and should not be used by people who do not already smoke.

Research has shown that vaping products are the most popular stop-smoking aid and it’s estimated that there are thousands of additional quitters in Yorkshire each year because of them. They help people stop smoking more effectively than other stop smoking aids such as nicotine replacement therapy because they simulate the sensation of smoking and provide nicotine without the high levels of harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Although addictive, nicotine is relatively harmless on its own and does not cause cancer.

The cost of vaping products can vary, with starter kits for reusable vapes priced from around £20 – not much more than the price of a packet of cigarettes. After this initial outlay, refills for vaping products are just a few pounds.

Although nicotine is addictive, it is not the cause of smoking-related diseases such as cancer. Using a vaping product means you can consume nicotine in a cleaner and less harmful way, without the harmful chemicals found in tobacco. By gradually reducing the strength of nicotine in your vaping device, you can eventually stop using nicotine altogether.

There is limited evidence on the safety of using vaping products during pregnancy. However, evidence from the general adult smoker population suggests that they are likely to be significantly less harmful to a pregnant woman and her baby than continuing to smoke.

Therefore, if you choose to use a vaping device while pregnant to help you quit smoking and stay smokefree, you should be supported to do so by your healthcare team.

A vaping device is a battery-powered device that heats an e-liquid containing nicotine, glycerol, water and flavourings. The nicotine is inhaled in a vapour, without the thousands of chemicals in tobacco that cause all the harm from smoking.

Smoking and vaping at the same time won’t make your health worse, but you won’t feel the full benefit unless you stop smoking tobacco completely. This is because you will still be inhaling the thousands of toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke and any level of smoking can increase your risk of smoking-related disease. Stopping smoking completely is the best thing you can do for your health.