The main difference, and namesake, to vaping is that the smoking alternative involves the vaporizing and inhalation of an oil, often flavored. E-cigarettes also do not contain tobacco, which is commonly associated with cancer. While vaping does not have to include tobacco, that does not mean that they are safe. The FDA has confirmed in the past that vape pens contain “detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals,” which can deal serious damage to a person’s lungs.

The illnesses that cigarettes cause can take years or decades to appear, whereas vaping-related illnesses can cause serious damage after only a few months. Many of the chemicals in vaping have been associated with heart failure and lung illnesses, such as bronchitis and emphysema. Vaping has not been around long enough to conduct long-term studies on, but even in the few short years it has been around, there have been substantial illnesses and injuries tied to it.

In addition, the vape pens themselves have caused numerous injuries through fires and explosions. The batteries in these devices can be defective and catch fire unexpectedly. Users suffer burns to their hands, face and legs, if the device catches fire while in their pockets. They can also explode while charging, causing injury and property damage in the home.