So, you gave up cigarettes in favor of vaping, believing it to be a much safer alternative. However, a recent study presents alarming findings that challenge this assumption. Even vaping without nicotine can have detrimental effects on vascular function, increasing the risk of heart disease and circulatory problems.

Traditional cigarettes are notorious for containing thousands of harmful chemicals, tar, and carcinogens, making them a well-documented health hazard. While vaping does eliminate some of these toxic substances, the belief that nicotine-free vaping is completely safe is being called into question.

If you have never smoked before and assume that vaping is a harmless habit, think again. Emerging research suggests that using e-cigarettes, even those without nicotine, may pose serious health risks.

Understanding Vaping

Vaping involves the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vapes), battery-operated devices that heat a liquid to generate an aerosol (commonly referred to as vapor) that users inhale. Unlike traditional cigarettes, which burn tobacco and release thousands of toxic chemicals, vapes do not produce smoke or tar, leading many to believe they are a safer alternative. However, the reality is far more complicated.

What’s in Vape Juice?

E-liquid, or vape juice, is typically a mixture of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), both of which create the dense vapor associated with vaping. While these compounds are generally recognized as safe for ingestion in food products, inhaling them is another matter entirely.

When heated, these substances undergo chemical reactions that generate potentially harmful byproducts, which can irritate the respiratory system and cause a range of health problems, including:

• Chronic coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Lung inflammation

Additionally, the enticing flavors that make vaping so popular—whether they resemble fruits, mints, or desserts—often contain dangerous chemicals. Some of these include:

• Diacetyl: A chemical linked to “popcorn lung,” a severe lung disease characterized by scarring and narrowing of the small airways.
• Benzaldehyde: A flavoring agent that can irritate the respiratory tract.
• Heavy metals: Vape coils can release trace amounts of lead, nickel, and tin into the vapor, which can accumulate in the body over time.

Even if a vape is free of nicotine, the inhalation of these substances can contribute to lung damage, inflammation, and long-term respiratory issues.

Dr. Michael Blaha of John Hopkins Medicine warns, “You’re exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we don’t yet understand and that are probably not safe.”

The Growing Popularity of Vaping

Vaping has surged in popularity, particularly among young people. According to John Hopkins, “more than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2021, with more than 8 in 10 of those youth using flavored e-cigarettes.”

Dr. Blaha finds this trend particularly troubling, stating, “What I find most concerning about the rise of vaping is that people who would’ve never smoked otherwise, especially youth, are taking up the habit. It’s one thing if you convert from cigarette smoking to vaping. It’s quite another thing to start up nicotine use with vaping. And, getting hooked on nicotine often leads to using traditional tobacco products down the road.”

This increase in vaping, especially among non-smokers and young users, raises significant public health concerns. While the intent behind e-cigarettes was to help smokers quit, they have instead introduced a new generation to the risks of inhaling harmful substances.

The Startling Research Findings

A 2024 study sought to determine whether the base liquids and flavoring chemicals used in vaping could still have negative health consequences, even in the absence of nicotine.

To explore this, researchers compared:

• Nicotine-free vapes
• Nicotine-containing vapes
• Traditional cigarettes

The results were surprising: all three had a measurable negative impact on blood vessel function. This indicates that nicotine is not the only factor contributing to the health risks of vaping.

The study found that “the decrease in vascular function was most pronounced after inhalation of e-cigarettes containing nicotine, followed by e-cigarettes without nicotine.”

According to lead researcher Dr. Marianna Nabbout, “This study serves to highlight the acute effects smoking and vaping can have on a multitude of vascular beds in the human body.”

Most concerningly, she notes, “If the acute consumption of an e-cigarette can have an effect that is immediately manifested at the level of the vessels, it is conceivable that chronic use can cause vascular disease.”

In other words, while nicotine appears to exacerbate the damage, even nicotine-free vaping can contribute to circulatory problems, potentially leading to long-term cardiovascular disease.

Should You Rethink Vaping?

For many smokers, vaping has been marketed as a less harmful alternative to smoking. However, if you switched to vaping under the assumption that it’s a safe habit, this new research should give you reason to reconsider.

While vaping may be less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes, that does not mean it is harmless. The chemicals used in e-cigarette liquids, including those that make up the base liquid and flavorings, can have significant adverse effects on your respiratory and vascular health.

If you are a non-smoker, picking up vaping exposes you to unnecessary health risks that could have been avoided altogether. The safest option is to refrain from smoking or vaping in any form.

The Bottom Line

Vaping is not as harmless as it is often perceived to be. The belief that nicotine-free vaping is completely safe has been debunked by new research, which shows that even the base ingredients and flavoring chemicals used in vapes can negatively impact vascular function.

Although vaping eliminates some of the harmful substances found in traditional cigarettes, it still carries risks—particularly for non-smokers who take up the habit thinking it’s a safe alternative. With vaping’s growing popularity among youth, more people are exposing themselves to potentially harmful chemicals without fully understanding the consequences.

If you have been vaping because you thought it was a risk-free alternative to smoking, it may be time to rethink that choice. Emerging research highlights that vaping, whether with or without nicotine, has measurable effects on the cardiovascular system.

What are your thoughts on vaping? Have you or someone you know been affected by it? We encourage you to share your experiences and spread awareness by sharing this story with others. Understanding the risks is the first step toward making informed decisions about your health.