Are vapes safer than cigarettes? What harm do they exactly do? And how to get rid of them?

We answer the main questions about devices, the sale of which has begun to be banned in Russia

From March 1, 2027, certain Russian regions will be able to prohibit the sale of vapes ( including those that do not contain nicotine). The State Duma has already adopted such a law.

However, some regions are ahead of this schedule. The trade in vapes was banned, in particular, in the Perm Territory (from March 1, 2026) and the Nizhny Novgorod Region (from September 1, 2026).

And the sale of any product containing nicotine to minors has long been prohibited . Just like online trading. The use of vapes in public places is also not permitted .

Yes. In some cases, the harm is obvious and proven, in others there are only assumptions and preliminary data. But final conclusions require the results of long-term studies.

One of the threats is related to the composition of liquids. Vapes do not contain tobacco, but do contain nicotine, propylene glycol or glycerin and various flavorings. The composition may also include heavy metals.

Nicotine is addictive, but with long-term use, as far as is known, does not lead to an increased risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases. However, other substances contained in liquids can form carcinogens when heated. Now a direct connection between vaping and malignant neoplasms has not been established , but not because it definitely does not exist, but because not enough time has passed for reliable conclusions.

The risk of developing cardiovascular disease from vaping appears to increase in the long term. Both in teenagers and adults .

In other risks, teens who vape may not have fully developed lungs. This will make them more vulnerable to infections and other diseases.

Pregnant women are not recommended to take nicotine in any form as it affects the development of the fetus's brain and lungs.

Vaping can also cause the development of a syndrome that is often called EVALI in the media, that is, lung injury associated with the use of electronic cigarettes or vaping (E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury). People with EVALI have such difficulty breathing that they require oxygen support and hospitalization. In addition, the person may have a fever, diarrhea or abdominal pain, feel tired, or feel nauseous or vomit.

The most likely cause is tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), which is sometimes added to vaping liquids. In the United States, as of 2020, almost three thousand people fell ill with EVALI. In Russia, a small number of people are known to have been diagnosed with the syndrome (for example, 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ).

No. Vapes can explode and cause burns even when not in use.

Another danger is that small children and pets may swallow or spill vaping liquid on themselves. This leads to poisoning and skin damage. This possibility exists because the contents of the cartridge or bottle often look attractive: the liquid has a beautiful color and a pleasant smell.

And one more thing: vapes are harmful not only to health, but also to the environment (especially disposable ones).

They are recycled, but this requires a lot of resources and does not pay off, so usually vapes simply end up in general trash. As the Kedr publication explains , citing experts, vapes consist of many components: aluminum, several types of plastics, lithium-ion batteries, processors, LEDs, heavy metals, and so on.

And all this is very difficult to separate. For example, because “the battery is often tightly welded to plastic, wires and cotton wool sticky from liquid,” as one of the experts explained to Kedr. Basically, the components are separated manually, but there are also more technologically advanced methods. True, they are also unprofitable, which makes this area unattractive for recycling companies.

Example

“Kedr” talks about this technology:

At the first stage, employees manually sort through mountains of devices, separating them by case type.

Then comes the turn of crushing. The entire devices, with batteries and circuit boards, are sent to a powerful shredder, which turns them into small crumbs. It, in turn, is sent to a vibrosieve, where the soft fraction (the same cotton wool with nicotine) and large pieces are sifted out.

Next, on a special separator, a powerful magnet pulls heavy metals from the stream.

During the aeroseparation stage, a stream of air blows light plastic out of the crumbs.

The remaining mass is driven through an eddy current . With its help, non-magnetic metals such as aluminum and copper are sent to a separate container.

Afterwards the final cleaning occurs. As a result, the device is separated into plastic granules, aluminum, copper powder and lithium concentrate.

Former vapes can be used to make parts for cars, products for home and garden, and cases for monoblocks.

We don't know. If compared with cigarettes, then, apparently, the harm is not so great . Humans are exposed to fewer toxic substances—and in lower concentrations. But smoking one way or another pollutes the air with suspended particles and toxic substances. This means that the person who inhales it potentially shares the risks with the person who vape.

Yes , people are quitting smoking cigarettes and using vapes instead. Another thing is that not all medical organizations are ready to recommend this method - there are approaches whose risks have been studied much better.

It should be noted that vapes help quit smoking only for those who have already started with cigarettes - for others they can cause the opposite effect. Vaping provokes nicotine addiction in a huge number of people (often teenagers). After developing an addiction, these people can switch to regular cigarettes, which have already been proven to lead to cancer and many other health problems.

It is best to try the same methods as for regular cigarettes. We are talking about nicotine (in the form of patches, sprays and chewing gum), varenicline and cytisine , as well as support and support from specialists.

But it cannot be said that these approaches have proven effectiveness specifically in relation to vapes. And this is another reason why vaping for doctors does not seem like a great way to combat smoking regular cigarettes: at some point they themselves become a problem.

Department "Analysis"