Gen Z are falsely saying ‘smoking is healthier than vaping’ in bizarre claim it’s a ‘plant-based alternative’
Viral social media posts are wrongly suggesting that cigarettes are ‘healthier’ than vaping, but why?
Over on Reddit, Gen Zers are responding to posts about ‘vaping vs smoking’, making bizarre claims that it’s a ‘plant-based’ alternative.
There’s vapers out there who say they actually feel better after switching back to smoking cigarettes, and Jane Moon, Pharmacist & Director at Herba Health Inc, has worked out why that is.
“People often continuously puff on these all day because there’s no natural end. Cigarettes provide that natural stop,” Moon, who has over a decade of experience assisting with stop smoking/vaping cessation, tells LADbible.
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“Switching to smoking from vaping leads to a reduction in nicotine saturation and provides relief from jitters, racing heart, headaches and other symptoms of high nicotine saturation.
“Some people also have adverse reactions to the chemicals in vape liquid which cause a dry mouth and throat, as well as a cough, which also go away when switching to smoking.”
The short-term benefit of quitting vaping
Expect ‘less throat irritation, dehydration and more steady energy levels’, Moon says, compared to the ‘harmful effects of smoking which take time to develop’.
“Carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke starts reducing the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen from the first cigarette smoked but diseases associated with smoking like lung and heart diseases and cancer take a long time to develop,” Moon explains.
“Feeling better in the first few weeks of quitting smoking says nothing about a smoker’s condition in the long-term.”
Why smoking is worse than vaping
Moon points out that smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer, heart disease and lung disease.
“Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals, including dozens of known carcinogens, along with tar and carbon monoxide,” she adds.
“Vaping doesn’t involve combustion, and as such, can’t produce a majority of the chemicals caused by combustion.
“So while vaping is not completely benign, the majority of the concerns regarding smoking come from combustion.
“The best option is no tobacco products, however, switching from smoking to vaping trades a larger risk for a smaller one.”
According to the NHS, nicotine vaping is less harmful than smoking and is 'one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking'.
Yet the health service notes that vaping is 'not completely harmless and we don’t know yet what the long-term effects may be'.
You must be 18 or older to buy vapes in Britain, as all disposable vapes are fully banned after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill became law in April 2026.
Anish Vij
