- Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including at least 70 known carcinogens.
- Research cited in the viral video states vaping exposes users to “95 percent fewer toxic chemicals” than cigarettes.
- Smoking is linked to 480,000 deaths a year in the United States and an average loss of 10 years of life.
- A 2025 Cochrane Review found “high certainty evidence” that vaping is more effective than nicotine patches or gums for quitting.
A viral video comparing smoking and vaping has racked up 55,000 likes after asking: which one is “actually killing you faster?”
The clip, titled Cigarettes vs Vaping – which one is actually killing you faster?, lays out what it describes as the “SHOCKING differences” between traditional cigarettes and vaping, citing research from organisations including the FDA, CDC, Public Health England, King’s College London and the New England Journal of Medicine.
The video states that cigarette smoke contains “7,000+ chemicals” and more than 70 known carcinogens. It highlights the presence of benzene, formaldehyde and arsenic, as well as tar, which it says “clogs your lungs,” and carbon monoxide, which “binds hemoglobin, starves organs of oxygen.”
Smoking, it adds, causes 480,000 deaths annually in the U.S, with smokers dying 10 years earlier on average. It links tobacco use to lung cancer, heart disease, COPD and stroke, citing CDC and American Cancer Society data.
In contrast, the video says vaping contains “95 per cent fewer toxic chemicals than cigarettes,” a figure attributed to Public Health England and King’s College London research. It also notes that vaping involves no combustion, meaning there is no tar or carbon monoxide.
These claims mirror NHS-backed research stating that “in the short and medium-term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking.” Other studies have found that people who switch completely from smoking to vaping dramatically reduce their exposure to toxins associated with cancer, lung disease, heart attacks and stroke.
However, the video stresses that vaping is “not safe – just less dangerous than smoking.” It points out that vapes still contain nicotine, which it says raises blood pressure and heart attack risk, and can contain heavy metals such as nickel and lead from heating coils.
It also references formaldehyde and acetaldehyde generated from heated propylene glycol, and ultrafine particles that can penetrate the lungs. In regulated UK products, formaldehyde and diacetyl are banned, though illegal products may contain prohibited substances.
Dual use warning
One of the strongest messages in the video is directed at dual users – people who both smoke and vape.
It states that “Complete switch required – dual use gives no benefit,” citing the American Chemical Society, CDC and American Heart Association. Health experts widely agree that the greatest reductions in harm are seen when smokers switch completely, rather than continuing to smoke alongside vaping.
However, some studies have found that smokers who reduce their cigarette consumption by partially switching to vaping are exposed to fewer toxicants than those who continue smoking exclusively. This suggests that dual use may still lower risk compared with smoking alone, even if it does not deliver the full benefits of complete switching.
The video also underlines that non-smokers should not start vaping, echoing the CDC’s official position.
Cessation evidence
The clip highlights findings from the 2025 Cochrane Review, describing “high certainty evidence” that vaping is more effective than nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum for helping smokers quit.
Over recent years, vaping has become more common than tobacco smoking among some groups in the UK, according to Office for National Statistics data. The rise has been attributed both to accessibility and to smokers seeking alternatives.
The viral debate comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of vape flavours and product design in several countries, including the UK and Germany. Public health authorities consistently state that while vaping is not risk-free, it is substantially less harmful than smoking.
The video ends with what it calls “The ONLY truly safe choice,” referring to complete cessation of both smoking and vaping.
Its overall conclusion reflects the current public health consensus, that smoking carries far higher risks, while vaping presents lower but not negligible harms. For smokers who switch fully, exposure to toxic chemicals falls sharply. For non-smokers, starting either habit carries avoidable risk.
