Have you heard people use the term "vape smoke"? If so, you may or may not realize that there's no such thing as "vape smoke" — in fact, it's a bit of an oxymoron. Actually, other than a similar visual appearance and (in most cases) the presence of nicotine, vapor and smoke have almost nothing in common.
The smoke produced when you light a cigarette is the result of combustion or the burning of the cigarette itself and the materials it contains. When you burn something — anything — you dramatically change its chemical composition. Smoke consists of visible carbon particles, the substance you're burning, and other by-products of combustion — in other words, burning something creates a variety of substances, many of which are extremely harmful to inhale.
Vaping is different because when you vaporize a substance like e-liquid, you change its state. However, the vapor will contain the same molecules as the previously vaporized substance. Technically speaking, the "vapor" produced when you vape isn't vapor at all, it's an aerosol. This aerosol is a suspension of fine particles of your vape juice that hang in the air for a short time and then fall to the ground. Because the particles are liquid — not solid like the particles found in cigarette smoke — they don't carry the same risks when inhaled.
Almost everyone who vapes, and the vaping community in general, has adopted the term "vapor" instead of "aerosol," which is more precise. For simplicity and clarity — and especially since the technical differences aren't relevant to the points we're addressing — we'll stick with the term "vapor."
Smoke vs. Vapor
As noted above, burning a cigarette produces smoke, while vaporizing e-liquid produces vapor. Let's take a look at the specific ways these two substances differ.
- Their compositions are different. Again, the only thing smoke and vapor have in common is nicotine. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens and many of which are otherwise harmful to inhale. In contrast, everything found in e-liquid — and its vapor — is safe to ingest.
- Vapor smells much nicer. The odor from cigarette smoke lingers in a room for a long time, unlike vapor. Vapor disperses almost instantly, as does its aroma (which, unlike smoke, is pleasant in the first place). If you smoke cigarettes in an enclosed room, you'll still be able to smell it hours or even days later — not so with e-cigarettes.
- Smoke leaves a residue. Smoking cigarettes inside a room, home, or vehicle over time causes yellow staining on walls, furniture, and other materials. This is due to tar, a sticky, resinous substance that helps create the nasty residue smoke leaves behind. Smoke also contains other combustion by-products that contribute to this staining, such as carbon monoxide.
So, if you're in the process of tracking down information relating to vapor and smoke, rest assured — the two are as different as night and day. If you're a smoker looking for a better alternative, feel free to give e-cigarettes a try. You'll no longer be inhaling smoke, your clothes, car, and home will smell nice again, and you'll enjoy a satisfying new way to consume the nicotine you crave without most of the negatives associated with smoking.
