Is Vaping Really 95% Safer Than Smoking? The Truth About Nicotine, Health Risks, and Harm Reduction

The Easy Way to Quit Smoking

Is vaping really 95% safer than smoking cigarettes? That claim is everywhere, but what does it actually mean — and what is it leaving out?

In this episode, we break down the viral “vaping is 95% safer than cigarettes” statistic, where it came from, and why it is often misunderstood as meaning vaping has only 5% of the risk. We talk about the difference between expert estimates, harm reduction messaging, and long-term health data — because when it comes to vaping, nicotine addiction, and your body, the fine print matters.

We also look honestly at the harm reduction argument. For adults who smoke combustible cigarettes, switching completely to vaping may reduce exposure to many toxic chemicals created by burning tobacco. But dual use — vaping while still smoking — can limit or erase that benefit. And because vapes are easy to use, highly accessible, and often flavored, nicotine intake can increase quickly without people realizing it.

This episode also explores the health risks of vaping beyond nicotine addiction. Vape aerosol is not just harmless water vapor. Nicotine can impact heart rate, blood pressure, sleep, mood, anxiety, and addiction pathways, and it is especially concerning for teens and young adults whose brains are still developing. We also discuss why health organizations like the CDC and American Heart Association continue to warn about possible cardiovascular, lung, and long-term health concerns linked to vaping.

If you are vaping, trying to quit, or wondering whether vaping is actually safer than cigarettes, this episode offers a no-spin look at what we know, what we do not know yet, and what finally helped me quit.

Subscribe for more honest health conversations, share this episode with someone who vapes, and leave a review with your take: should vaping ads be allowed to say “95% safer”?

Transcript

Why This Topic Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi everyone, this is Still Roses Podcast. This podcast was created for women by women to elevate women's voices. This is my third attempt to record this episode because I am needlessly interrupted every single time I try to record. So here we go again, third time is

The Ad Claiming 95% Safer

SPEAKER_00 0:15

the charm. So I'm bringing something new to you today because I was watching TV the other night and this commercial popped up. And the facts that they're stating in the commercial really raised a red flag for me. It was basically an alarm. Now, I'm a big advocate of everybody doing research and making sure that you see and understand information that's being put in front of you. It is incredibly important to make sure that while statements are being made, you're doing your own checks on what these statements are because anyone can say anything anywhere, especially in this, you know, online state. Everybody has an opinion and they're going to put it out there. But not many people are providing you with factual information. It's actually a pretty massive problem, especially in the health industry. Outside of the individuals who are influencers that are leading the way here, um, you also have advertising and marketing. Now, you know, I love advertising, love marketing. I think it's such an interesting practice. And it's very cool to understand the behind the scenes approach to how people are putting messaging together, specifically tailored for their target demographic. So the whole thing is really cool to follow. But again, it's also really important to make sure is this information correct? Does it make sense for me? So the commercial that I saw, blazing and for the blazing key takeaway from the commercial was that vaping is 95% safer for you than cigarettes. Now, this claim comes from a study that was done in the UK. I'm gonna read through some information here because the claim comes from a study, not a study, excuse me, it was an evidence review. And it comes from an evidence review that was done conducted in 2015 and revisited in 2022. But again, the information is UK-based. So let me get into this really quickly and then we'll start kind of debating across. So for an adult who currently smokes cigarettes, switching completely to vaping is generally considered less harmful than smoke,

Where The 95% Number Comes From

SPEAKER_00 2:05

mainly because vaping does not burn tobacco and therefore exposes the body to far fewer combustion-related toxins like tar and carbon monoxide. UK public health reviews have repeatedly supported the idea that vaping is a fraction of the risk of smoking, including the widely quoted 95% less harmful estimate. When you hear 95% less harmful, the untrained ear, and I'm not quite saying anybody is dumb or stupid or anything like that, but when I heard 95% less harmful, I heard, well, there's only 5% risk. And I'm sure many other people hear that too. And that's really where I take issue with this. So the 95% clean is most associated with the public health with Public Health England, which in 2015 published an evidence review concluding that e-cigarettes were around 95% less harmful. The UK position has stayed broadly pro-harm reduction. A later 2022 evidence update commissioned by the UK Office for Health Improvement and Disparities concluded that nicotine vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking with lower exposure to many toxins, toxics, while also emphasizing that vaping is not risk-free and that long-term data is still in development. That last bit there is actually really important. So there's two things I want to know here before I continue to go on. One, we don't have long-term data, but we do know there's risk, and we do know that it's not safe. Two, everything that I'm gonna go through here for you, majority of it, I mean, there's some information here from the CDC, but the stuff in the CDC is saying that e-cigarettes are not safe. So let's just keep going. So the controversy is that 95% is not a precise biological measurement, like your risk drops exactly 95%. It's better understood as an expert estimate shorthand, meaning vaping is much less harmful than smoking, but not harmless. Now, I want to take a minute here and point something out to you. That means that they're manipulating how that information is being presented to you. And there are, I know for medical, for the medical side, there are very strict, rigorous guidelines for what can be said about a particular drug product, because we have to base everything on clinical studies and facts. We are not allowed to deviate from that. So if clinical studies and facts come out that say a drug can kill you in a year, we have to publish that. Like that is the law. We absolutely legally are bound to publish that. This kind of advertising, I'm not as familiar with the guidelines, but this bothers me. And because it feels like the information is being massaged and manipulated to misinform people. Let me see here. Some researchers, researchers in public health groups criticize the number because long-term disease outcomes are still uncertain, and because the original estimate relied partly on expert judgment rather than decades of direct long direct, long-term outcomes data. There it is, right there. This is not data based. It's expert judgment. Totally different. Also, can we question the judgment? Yes, we can. Who was judging this? What were what were the protocols for the judgment? And what was behind the judgment? We don't know anything about this, but they're touting this here in the US. Now, it is common practice for global studies to come into the US and for us to use that data. That does happen actually quite frequently. However, in pharma, it's actually not allowed. If something

Harm Reduction For Current Smokers

SPEAKER_00 5:18

is released globally and we haven't gotten it FDAA approved in the US, you're not going to get information on it. Um, let's see, pros of vaping, it's mainly for current smokers. So the strongest pro is harm reduction. Cigarette smoking is uniquely dangerous because burning tobacco creeps thousands of chemicals, and many, many of which damage the lungs, blood vessels, heart, and DNA. Vaping typically exposes users to fewer and lower levels of many toxin toxic substances compared with smoking. The National Academy's report found substantial evidence that except for nicotine, exposure to potentially toxic substances is significantly lower from e-cigarettes than from combustible cigarettes. Okay? Vaping may also help some adults quit smoking. Some public health organ organizations, especially in the UK, view nicotine gaping as a useful smoking secession tool for adult smokers when it replaces cigarettes completely. So the idea here is they're using it as a phase like approach. We're going to pull you off of cigarettes, which are most harmful, move you to a secondary harmful product that is still going to give you everything you had with cigarettes. I have opinions on this. I'm going to keep reading though. It also avoids smoke, ash, and probably monoxide exposure from combustion, which is one reason biomarker studies tend to show lower exposure to many smoking-related toxicants and people who switch fully to vaping. Excuse me. I'm obviously my throat is a little off. I'm a little bit sick. My issue here is as a former smoker, if if you're vaping and it's flavored and it has nicotine in it, and you can do it inside the house, or you can do it anywhere, and it's not going to really bother anybody and you just really quickly pull it out and smoke it. Wouldn't you end up smoking more and thus get more exposure to nicotine because it tastes delicious? They flavor it like grape and friggin' like God knows what grape, apples, you know, whatever. And you're gonna want to do it more because it tastes delicious now. And now you can do it everywhere because it's not like cigarette smoke. You can be in a restaurant, like go to the side or go to the bathroom. Like this is the ease of access is there. So thus you would be actually consuming more nicotine, in my opinion. But I digress. I don't digress. You know what? I'm

Nicotine Addiction And Lung Exposure

SPEAKER_00 7:20

actually gonna say one more thing on this. I actually know people who transitioned from cigarettes to vaping and ended up having a harder time getting off vaping than anything else because the nicotine was flooding their system so much from the vaping. All right, now I'm gonna move on. The biggest downside is nicotine addiction. Oh my god, shocking. Many vapes deliver high levels of nicotine, and some products can deliver nicotine very efficiently. Nicotine can increase heart rate and blood pressure, reinforce dependence, and is especially risky for teens, young adults, pregnancy, and fetal development. Vaping can also irritate or affect the lungs. E-cigarettes, aerosol is not just water vapor. It contains, this says it can contain, but I'm gonna force correct, it contains ultra-fine particles, volatile organic compounds, flavoring chemicals, heavy metals, and other substances that may be inhaled deep into the lungs. Flavoring chemicals specifically are associated with a uh with a uh a disease called topcorn lung. Look it up. Horrible. Let's see here. Another major problem is dual use, vaping while smoking. I can't even imagine. My God, people declares harm reduction cases when vaping fully replaces smoking. There's also uncertainty around long-term effects. Another one, shocking. People, let's all like just take a moment here. When things like this are released into the public and it's brand new and everybody gets really hot on it, I want you to take a minute and think to yourself, well, we don't really know anything about this product. We don't know anything about this new great thing that they're everyone is touting. How do we know it's not going to cause cancer? You know, I bought one of those LED light masks recently. I brought one for me and one for my stepdaughter for our Mother's Day gifts. And I was using it the other night, and my husband said to me, He's like, Did you do research on that? And I was like, you know what? I actually didn't. You know, I just I got suckered in, guys. Yes, I did. And I was like, I actually did not do an in-depth research on like what it could be causing, harmfully wise. And he said he was like, wouldn't that cause cancer? Isn't that like a tanning bed? And I was like, I pause because I didn't look into it. So I can't make any statements around that. But that's my point. We get suckered into seeing something over and over and over again to the point where then you eventually just go for it. And we haven't actually researched it. Like, me included, we need to be better. So is vaping really 95% safer? It's definitely less harmful than smoking regular cigarettes, but 95% safer should not be treated as an exact proven number. My gosh. Shocking. So the key thing to understand is that vaping has two different risk categories: risks from the vape aerosol itself, so that's the aerosol, chemicals, particles, flavorings, metals, lung and cardiovascular effects, and then risks from the nicotine, addiction, plus effects on the brain, heart, mood, sleep, blood pressure, and pregnancy field development. Lung and airway irritation. Vape aerosol is not harmless water vapor. It can contain ultrafied particles, volatile organic compounds, flavoring chemicals, heavy metals,

Long Term Unknowns And Doing Research

SPEAKER_00 10:15

and other substances that are inhaled into the lungs. The CDC states that e-cigarette aerosol can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs. Vaping may affect the cardiovascular system through nicotine and through non-nicotine aerosol components that may promote oxidative stress, inflammation, blood vessel dysfunction, and pre-sympathetic nervous system activity. The American Heart Association has warned that e-cigarettes are not risk-free and continues to recommend proven smoking cessation methods rather than treating vaping as harmless. A 2023 American Heart Association scientific statement reviewed evidence linking vaping with cardiopulmonary concerns, including respiratory events and cardiovascular mechanisms of harm. I actually did a lot of work with the American Heart Association and one of my other agencies. Really, really, really great organization, unless you talk about being a vegetarian. I'm not going to digress. Let me see here. Compared with cigarettes, vaping usually exposes users to lower levels of many toxicants and carcinogens, especially those created by burning tobacco. The National Academies concluded there is conclusive evidence that completely switching from cigarettes to easier reduces exposure to many toxicants and carcinogens found in combustible cigarettes. But lower exposure does not mean no exposure. Oh my God, there it is, the nugget. Vabe aerosol may still contain formaldehyde. Oh my god. Formaldehyde, acetalohyde, acrylene, heavy metals, and flavoring-related chemicals depending on the device type, temperature, liquid, ingredients, and usage patterns. Long-term cancer risk is still uncertain because decades of outcome data do not exist yet. So for all we know, in 10, 20, 30 years, there are going to be some major breakthroughs here. Vaping can dry mouth and irritate oral issues. Nicotine can reduce blood flow to gum tissue, and some vape liquids may alter the oral microbiome. Oh, interesting, or contribute to gum inflammation. Hmm. This is an area where the research is still evolving, but dentists incre oh wow, dentists increasingly flag vaping as a risk factor for gum irritation, dry mouth, and periodontal concern. I didn't, I, you know, that actually makes a lot of sense. Vaping may affect local immune defense in the airway that matters because the lungs rely on delicate immune and clearance mechanisms to remove irritants and pathogens. Some studies suggest vaping can alter inflammatory pathways and immune responses. This is this is pretty bad, actually. Unknown long-term risk. We already covered that. Nicotine is there and it does affect the body. So withdrawal

What Nicotine Does To Your Body

SPEAKER_00 12:45

symptoms for nicotine, irritability, anxiety, or restlessness, trouble concentrating, low mood, sleep disturbance, increased appetite. Brain is missing expected nicotine, stress symptoms become reactive. I mean, nicotine rapidly stimulates so dopamine release in the brain's reward pathways, which creates a cycle of nicotine use, dopamine hit, then your withdrawal when the levels drop, and then you crave it, do it again. Like any other drug, get you high, then you fall down, and then it picks you back up again because you reach for it again. Nicotine activates the sympathetic nervous system, the fight or flight system, that can cause increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, blood vessel narrowing, adrenaline release. This is one reason nicotine can feel like it helps focus, but also worsens anxiety, chest tightness, or palpitations in some people. Nicotine can feel calming, but often is relieving withdrawal, not truly reducing baseline anxiety. Nicotine is a stimulant, it can make it harder to sleep, reduce sleep quality, and contribute to waking during the night, especially if the body starts creating nicotine overnight. Let's see here. For teens and young adults, nicotine is especially concerning because the brain is still developing. The CDC knows that nicotine can harm adolescent brain development, which contains which continues into the mid-20s and may affect attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Key takeaway. Vaping isn't good either. And neither are cigarettes. Now, if you're hearing this and you're like, Jenny, like enough. I don't need you to get on this soapbox. Believe me, I hear you because 22-year-old Jenny felt very differently than 42-year-old Jenny. However, we clearly know the data. We clearly know none of this is safe for you. It's a drug that has been put out on the market and controlled, a little bit like marijuana now, so that people can make money off of it. That's literally it. The bottom line, we know this is addictive. We know it's gonna cause you health issues. We're gonna put it out there anyway. It's literally a product that's gonna kill you. Like Nuff said, it will affect your health long term. It's going to kill you, period. Believe me, 22-year-old Jenny would have a massively different opinion, live in the moment, all that jazz. 42-year-old Jenny doesn't feel that way. What

Quitting Tools And Final Takeaways

SPEAKER_00 14:50

I would put out there is this book that, you know, it's funny because we have all these products that will help you wean off of nicotine. So we have the patch, we have gum, there's injections, like there's loads and loads of nick like products that you can do or use to help you stop with e-cigarettes or smoking, regular cigarettes. But there's also this book that honestly, this was the one thing that worked. Like I'm not even I literally tried every single thing I talked about. There's this book, and it sounds silly, but it's called The Easy We, The Easy Way to Quit Smoking. Hands down, easiest way to do it. I I am not joking. I'm actually gonna link the book in the description here because it I would guarantee it, to be honest with you, I would I would nearly guarantee it if you start reading that book, you might even get halfway through and then you're gonna stop. That's kind of what happened to me. And I'm not talking about a light, like, oh, just social smoking kind of thing. I'm talking two and a half packs a day, marble reds. Let's go. This helped me quit. So this is where you want to go. Um, I'm gonna link that book in the description. I hope you guys found this episode informative. If you have a team that's vaping, and since it's not a big deal, if you have someone in your life that you're concerned about, there are resources you can kind of push towards them. But ultimately, it's gonna be their decision. So stay informed, stay safe, and thank you for hanging out with me. And I will catch you on the next one. Take care.