Vaping vs Cigarettes Health Impacts Compared To put it simply, vaping is better than smoking traditional cigarettes. If you're a cigarette smoker, there's no question that switching to e cigarettes is a step in the right direction. That doesn't Is Vaping Better Than Smoking? American Heart Association Smoking vs Vaping Which is Worse? Smoking: 1. 7,000+ harmful chemicals 2. Causes lung cancer, COPD, heart blockages, strokes 3. Long term, progressive, and deadly Vaping: 1. Marketed as "safer" but misleading