There is a whole spread of controversies concerning the use of vape as one common question that crops up repeatedly is; how many vaping puffs correspond to one cigarette? As the popularity of vaping increases especially among those who want to quit smoking or reduce consumption of tobacco, a number of people would like to know how the two feel like. Understanding of the link between vaping and smoking is significant to keener smokers and vapers making handsome decisions. In this article let me explain how vaping and smoking are similar or different, discuss nicotine and finally get to the answer.
The Basics: Cigarettes vs Vape Puffs
Basically, a cigarette is a carefully measured and enclosed product containing generally prescribed portions of tobacco. Each time one puffs, they end up inhaling nicotine, tar, and a thousand other particles of chemicals. A standard cigarette has 12mg of tar per cigarette, but only 1-1.5 mg of nicotine reaches the bloodstream.
This leads to the important question: Can you vape while breastfeeding? While vaping may seem like a safer alternative to smoking, it still introduces nicotine and potentially harmful chemicals into your body. These can pass into breast milk and may affect both the quantity and quality of milk production. It’s crucial to consider the potential risks to your baby before deciding whether to vape while breastfeeding.
E-cig, however, is a somewhat different, or so to speak, different ball game altogether. Contrary to conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes or vapors use an electrically heated liquid, usually referred to as e-liquid, e-juice, or vape juice, that typically includes nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and flavors. The length of Vape Puffs, the nicotine concentration of the e-juice and the type of e-cigarette also determines the extent of the nicotine delivered.
The Nicotine Factor: Comparing Cigarettes and Vapes
The essence of comparing cigarettes and vapors is mainly the level of nicotine. A cigarette has a fixed level of nicotine while vape has the nicotine level which can be changed. There is a wide difference in nicotine quantity present in e-liquids which has varied from 0 mg/mL to 50 mg/mL. In terms of nicotine concentration used by most vapers the most preferred concentrations are 3 migs/mL, 6 migs/mL, 12 migs/mL and 18 migs/mL.
A cigarette smoker inhales about 1 – 1.5 mg of nicotine per cigarette. So while using a vape with an e-liquid carrying 6 mg/ml of nicotine, you have to take numerous puffs in order to be as fulfilled as in consuming one cigarette.
But how many Vape Puffs is that? Let’s explore.
How Many Vape Puffs Equal One Cigarette?
There’s no exact science to determining how many vape puffs equal one cigarette due to the variables involved, including:
- E-liquid nicotine level
- The amount of power that the device is and its efficiency
- The depth and time taken to take each Vape Puffs
However, based on the average usage and nicotine strength:
- For a 12 mg/mL e-liquid: Researchers have found that about 10 to 15 puffs of an electronic cigarette provide the same amount of nicotine as one conventional cigarette.
- For a 6 mg/mL e-liquid: On average, if one has to get the same nicotine dose as one cigarette you would have to vape for about 20-30 puffs.
- For a 3 mg/mL e-liquid: These figures tend to rise greatly leading to up to 50 puffs to equal one cigarette .
- These numbers may not be exact, but they provide an idea of how proficient vaping is as compared to smoking in terms of nicotine use.
Vapers who use high concentration solutions, that is, above 20 mg/mL could get their nicotine satisfaction within a few puffs that would equal a cigarette’s worth.
Puff Duration and Vape Devices
Not all puffs are created equal. A long, deep inhale from a vape will deliver. Here we have the feeling that not all the puffs are the same. Full deep draw from a vape pen will provide more nicotine than a small short draw. Furthermore, most advanced commodities are equipped with the sub-ohm coil and the high wattage to create the larger cloud and more nicotine shots. However, devices as minimal as pod systems, provide lower levels of nicotine per puff.
That is why a number of puffs required to complete vaping with a traditional cigarette is almost impossible, due to the variability of the vaping devices. Heavy users will likely use fewer puffs but with stronger devices while the light users will require more puffs with simple e-cigarettes.
Other Chemicals: What You Inhale Beyond Nicotine
Admittedly nicotine is found in both cigarettes and vapes and it is important to know that vaping and smoking release different chemicals into the body.
- Cigarettes: They are tainted with thousands of chemicals such ad tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous elements far more dangerous than what e-cigarettes are made up. As everyone knows, these chemicals have adverse impacts on health and are responsible for cancer, lung diseases, as well as problems with the heart and other vital organs.
- Vapes: They do not emit tar and a number of the other chemicals that one gets from smoking cigarettes. But they retain a number of toxic components, like formaldehyde and acrolein, particularly when the device operates at high temperatures.
Although vaping is a safer replacement for smoking, it is not absolutely safe as we see today. Well for smokers who are shifting to vapes, this study provides valuable information with regards to differences in chemicals exposure.
Nicotine Absorption: Smoking vs Vaping
Another relevant point is the issue of the most load dose rate, which is the rate at which nicotine is introduced to the bloodstream. Nicotine is transported to the brain instantly and kicks in within a few seconds of the use of cigarettes. Vaping, in turn, takes more time to release nicotine into the body circulation system than conventional cigarettes. Some users say that they do not get the side effects of vaping as they get when they are using a cigarette.
This slower absorption can be one of the reasons that set vapers consume more puffing during the day compared to smokers. While a smoker typically takes a cigarette usually and takes about 10 minutes to complete it, a vaper will vape all day, making smaller draws at regular intervals to keep the nicotine levels up.
The Experience: Smoking vs Vaping
To a lot of smokers, it’s not just the nicotine that they are after – it is the complete package. The physical possession of a cigarette is a big part of the habit; the actual use of a match or lighter to ignite it; and, of course, the physical act of smoking.
Vaping can mimic some of these feelings but self-creature in a different manner. An analyst noted that the holding of a vape device resembles holding cigarettes and that the actual process of heating e-liquid using a button or by drawing the device to the mouth felt different. Some quit smoking and adapt easily while for some the vaping does not meet their satisfying levels.
Because of these differences, even if you are getting the same amount of nicotine in say, 5 vape puffs as you would in one cigarette, the experience will not tend to feel the same to the user.
Health Considerations: Making the Switch
Warning when going from smoking to vaping – while vaping is considered safer than smoking, it is not completely safe yet. Still the studies relating to vaping are still ongoing but it should be noted that unlike cigarettes, it does contain nicotine and other ingredients.
To the smoker who wants to quit, vaping is quite important in the sense that it can gradually help to step down one’s nicotine use. A large number of users are able to reduce their levels of dependency slowly by using high-nicotine e-juice and then using the low-nicotine or zero-nicotine e-juice in due course if needed.
Conclusion: How Many Vape Puffs Are Equivalent to One Cigarette?
In conclusion let me state that there is no exact number by which one can relate a cigarette to a vape puff but based on general estimation for an e-liquid of 12 mg/mL the Safer vapers for the same milligrams as that in a cigarette would be between 10 and 15 puffs. This number can vary or change depending on the type of nicotine of your vaping liquid and with the kind of e-cig you are using.
Changing from smoking to vaping can be eased with knowledge on the amount of nicotine and how it differs from assistance in the two practices. Although vaping is less dangerous than smoking, it is important to know about its possible side effects, and make proper choices in terms of benefits and damages.
Summary
E-cigarettes and cigarettes are fundamentally different in terms of delivering nicotine, and a standard cigarette contains roughly between 1-1.5 mg of nicotine per puff. Instead, the following nicotine from vaping depends on your device and the nicotine concentration in your e-liquid. Pros of vaping is that it is safer than smoking, however, just like all thing in life vaping is not without risks this makes it important for people to use vapes safely and to be up to date.
