In just a few years, e-cigarettes and vaping devices have gone from being a curiosity to becoming part of the everyday landscape, especially among younger people. With eye-catching flavours, attractive designs and a much cleaner image than traditional tobacco, they have often been presented as a harmless alternative or as a simple aid to quitting smoking. But it is worth pausing to ask honestly: are vaping and e-cigarettes really less addictive?

In this article we examine, rigorously and without scaremongering, what we know today about the addictive potential of vaping, what the real differences are compared with conventional tobacco, and why the perception that "nothing happens" can be misleading. Our aim is not to demonise any product, but to offer clear information so that everyone can make informed decisions.

Vaping and e-cigarettes: what they actually are

An e-cigarette or vape is a device that heats a liquid until it turns into an aerosol that is inhaled. That liquid usually contains nicotine, as well as propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavourings and other substances. Unlike a traditional cigarette, there is no combustion of tobacco, and it is precisely on this absence of combustion that much of the "less harmful" argument rests.

It is true that, since there is no combustion, vaping does not generate many of the toxic substances associated with tobacco smoke. That is why, in the very specific context of a smoker who uses vaping as an intermediate step towards quitting entirely, some professionals consider it a harm-reduction option. But there is an enormous distance between that and concluding that vaping is harmless or that it does not cause addiction.

The key point is that most vaping liquids contain nicotine, and nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known. That is the heart of the matter.

Nicotine is still the centre of the problem

Nicotine is not any "milder" for being consumed as a vapour. It remains the same substance that makes tobacco one of the hardest addictions to overcome. It acts on the brain's reward system by releasing dopamine, producing a pleasurable, relieving sensation that the brain learns to seek out compulsively. With repeated use, tolerance and dependence develop, and withdrawal syndrome appears when it is missing: irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and a strong desire to use again.

In fact, in some respects, vaping may lead to even greater nicotine exposure than conventional tobacco. Here are some reasons:

Many devices allow almost continuous use, without the pause that finishing a cigarette marks. You can vape in small puffs for hours.
Some liquids, especially certain nicotine salts, allow very high concentrations to be inhaled smoothly and with little irritation, making it easy to consume large amounts almost without noticing.
The absence of a strong smell and visible smoke means consumption goes more unnoticed, even to oneself, which makes it harder to keep track of how much is used.
Sweet, pleasant flavours make the experience more appealing and less off-putting than the harsh taste of tobacco.

For all these reasons, the idea that vaping "hooks you less" is, to say the least, debatable. It creates nicotine dependence just as tobacco does, and in some cases it may do so more intensely or more quickly.

The mirage of low-risk perception

One of the greatest dangers of vaping lies not only in the product itself, but in the social perception surrounding it. By being presented as something modern, clean and less harmful, many people, especially teenagers and young adults who had never smoked, take up nicotine use through vaping without being fully aware that they are developing an addiction.

This is an important shift compared with traditional tobacco. For decades, the message about the risks of cigarettes took hold in society and consumption among young people declined. Vaping, on the other hand, has opened a new gateway to nicotine for people who might never have started smoking. And once dependence is established, the step towards conventional tobacco becomes more likely.

Low-risk perception also lowers our defences. Someone who believes something is harmless consumes it with less control and less awareness, which makes it easier for dependence to take hold with hardly any resistance. Feeling that "I can quit whenever I want" is, precisely, one of the thoughts that most hinders recognising a problem.

What we know and what we do not know about its safety

It is important to be honest about what science currently knows. Vaping is a relatively recent phenomenon, and we do not yet have long-term studies comparable to those that exist for tobacco, whose effects have been researched over decades. This means we still do not know precisely the consequences of sustained use over twenty, thirty or forty years.

What we do know is that vaping aerosol is not simply "water vapour", as is sometimes believed. It contains substances that can irritate the airways and whose long-term effects are still being studied. And we know, beyond any doubt, that nicotine is addictive and can have harmful effects, especially on the adolescent brain, which is still developing and is more vulnerable to dependence.

Therefore, to claim that vaping is "safe" is scientifically premature. The prudent view is to consider it, at the very least, a source of nicotine addiction with risks that are not yet fully understood.

Signs that vaping has become an addiction

As with any other dependence, there are signs that help to recognise when vaping has stopped being an occasional habit and become an addiction. Some of them are:

Feeling the need to vape soon after waking or at regular intervals throughout the day.
Noticing irritability, anxiety or difficulty concentrating when you cannot vape.
Having tried to cut down or quit without succeeding.
Vaping more and more frequently or seeking liquids with a higher nicotine concentration.
Reaching for the device automatically in response to stress, boredom or anxiety.

If you recognise yourself in several of these situations, it is very likely that a nicotine dependence exists, even if the consumption is through vaping rather than traditional tobacco. Recognising it is not a cause for guilt, but the first step towards being able to address it.

Vaping among the young: a growing concern

One aspect that deserves special attention is how widespread vaping has become among teenagers and young adults. Data from recent years show a notable rise in consumption at these ages, often in people who had never smoked tobacco. This phenomenon is concerning for several reasons that go beyond the product itself.

First, the adolescent brain is especially sensitive to nicotine. Because it is still developing, it is more vulnerable to dependence and may see functions related to attention, learning and impulse control affected. Starting on nicotine during this stage increases the risk of a more intense and longer-lasting addiction.

Second, the design of many products appears to target precisely this audience. Sweet and fruity flavours, eye-catching colours, discreet formats that fit in a pocket and an image tied to what is modern and technological make vaping especially appealing to young people. All of this encourages an early start and a normalisation of consumption whose long-term consequences are still hard to calculate. For this reason, honest information and open dialogue within families are just as important as with any other substance.

It is also worth noting that quitting can be harder for someone who began vaping young, because the habit has become woven into their daily routines and their ways of coping with stress from an early stage. This is not a reason for discouragement, but a reminder that support and understanding, rather than blame, are what make lasting change possible.

Quitting vaping also requires support

There is a mistaken idea that, because it is "less harmful", quitting vaping should be easy. In practice, overcoming a nicotine dependence is hard regardless of the route of consumption, because the addictive mechanism is the same. Many people who try to quit on their own run into withdrawal syndrome and the strong desire to go back, and end up relapsing.

Quitting vaping, like quitting tobacco, is achieved best with a plan and with support. Understanding the situations in which the urge appears, learning to manage withdrawal, finding alternatives for moments of stress and having professional support notably increases the chances of success. It is not just about "having willpower", but about working intelligently against a mechanism that the brain has made automatic.

It also helps to set a realistic goal and a clear date, to remove the device and any spare liquids from easy reach, and to identify in advance the moments of the day that will be hardest, so that you can plan a different response for each of them. Keeping track of the small victories, rather than focusing only on the difficult moments, sustains motivation. And if a slip occurs, treating it as information rather than as a failure is what allows you to keep moving forward instead of giving up. Every attempt teaches something useful for the next one.

If you vape and feel you have lost control, or if you want to quit and do not know where to start, at Reconectar we can help. We are an outpatient addiction treatment centre in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where we work on an individual, personalised and confidential basis, adapting to your situation and your pace. Giving up nicotine, in any of its forms, is possible, and you do not have to do it alone. We will be glad to walk alongside you through that process.