Somehow everything that produces vapour has ended up being thrown into the same box and called a vape. It drives me slightly mad because herbal vaporisers and nicotine oil vapes are not the same thing. Not even close. Lumping them together is like calling a glass of wine and a bottle of bleach “liquids.”
Let’s clear it up.
What People Mean When They Say “Vape”
Most people are talking about nicotine oil vapes. Disposable ones. Refillable ones. The fruity smelling cloud machines. These devices heat a liquid and turn it into an aerosol you breathe in.
- That liquid usually contains:
- Propylene glycol
- Vegetable glycerine
- Nicotine
- Flavourings
- Extra additives to make the vapour thick and impressive
None of this is there by accident. PG and VG exist purely to create vapour. The flavourings are there to make it taste nice. The nicotine is there to keep you coming back.
Here’s the problem. These ingredients are not designed to be heated and inhaled deep into the lungs. When PG and VG are heated they can break down into chemicals that irritate lung tissue. Flavourings that are safe to eat are often not safe to inhale once heated. Some have been shown to damage lung cells in lab studies.
There is also evidence of heavy metals coming from the heating coils themselves. That is not seasoning. That is metal.
Nicotine oil vapes are not harmless. Even nicotine free versions have been shown to have negative effects on lung function.
What Herbal Vaporisers Actually Are
A herbal vaporiser does something completely different.
It heats dried plant material gently. No liquid. No PG. No VG. No flavourings. No additives designed to make clouds look cool on social media.
The temperature is controlled so the material is heated but not burned. That matters because burning creates smoke. Smoke contains tar, carbon monoxide and a long list of things your lungs would rather not deal with.
With a herbal vaporiser there is no combustion. No smoke. Just vapour from the plant itself.
Is inhaling anything completely risk free. No. Breathing fresh air will always win. But pretending this is the same as inhaling heated chemical liquids is just wrong.
Why They Should Never Be Compared
Nicotine oil vapes rely on chemistry to work. A long ingredient list. Additives. Liquids designed for clouds first and health second.
Herbal vaporisers rely on heat and plant material. Nothing added. Nothing artificial to make it “vapier”.
They are built for different reasons and the science around them reflects that.
Research consistently shows that avoiding combustion reduces exposure to harmful byproducts compared to smoking. Studies on nicotine oil vapes show lung irritation, chemical exposure and cardiovascular stress even in the short term.
Calling them the same thing helps no one and confuses people who are trying to make better choices.
The Short Version
- If it’s full of liquid, flavourings and mystery ingredients, it is not this.
- If it relies on PG and VG to make clouds, it is not this.
- If it smells like bubblegum and comes in a neon plastic stick, it is definitely not this.
- A herbal vaporiser is its own thing. And no, it is not “basically the same”.
Further Reading
Nicotine vape health effects and chemical breakdown
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750025002100
Immediate lung effects of vaping, including nicotine free products
https://people.com/vaping-immediate-negative-health-effect-even-nictone-free-8767483
Overview of dry herb vaporisation and harm reduction
https://planetofthevapes.com/blogs/blog/dry-herb-vaporizers-health-scientific-studies
