You ditched cigarettes for a vape, thinking it was the healthier option. No tar, no smoke, no nicotine—what’s the harm, right? But a new and alarming study reveals that even nicotine-free vaping can damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of heart disease and other circulatory problems.

We’ve known for years that traditional cigarettes are packed with toxic chemicals and carcinogens. Vaping cuts out many of those dangers—but now, researchers are warning that “safer” doesn’t mean safe.

If you’ve never smoked before, picking up a vape—even one without nicotine—still exposes your body to harmful effects.

So, What Exactly Is Vaping?

E-cigarettes, or vapes, are battery-powered devices that heat up a liquid to produce an aerosol (not actually vapor) that you inhale. Unlike traditional cigarettes that burn tobacco, vapes don’t produce smoke or tar, which is why they were once seen as a less harmful alternative.

What’s in Vape Juice?

The liquid inside vapes (called e-liquid or vape juice) typically contains propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which help produce that thick cloud of mist. These ingredients are considered safe in foods—but inhaling them is another story.

When heated, they can break down into harmful compounds that may cause:

• Chronic coughing

• Breathing difficulties

• Lung inflammation

The Flavor Trap

Flavors are a huge part of vaping’s appeal—whether it’s cotton candy, mint, or mango. But those tasty additives may come with hidden dangers. Some of the chemicals used include:

• Diacetyl – Linked to “popcorn lung,” a serious lung disease

• Benzaldehyde – Can irritate the respiratory system

• Heavy metals – Coils inside the vape may leak lead, nickel, or tin into the aerosol

Even without nicotine, inhaling these substances over time can damage your lungs and airways.

“You’re exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we don’t yet understand and that are probably not safe,” said Dr. Michael Blaha of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

A Popular (and Growing) Habit

According to Johns Hopkins, over 2 million middle and high school students in the U.S. reported using e-cigarettes in 2021—and more than 80% said they used flavored varieties.

Dr. Blaha is especially concerned about new users:

“What worries me most is that people who never would have smoked, especially young people, are getting hooked on vaping,” he said. “Some end up transitioning to traditional tobacco products later.”

What the 2024 Study Found

A recent study set out to compare the effects of:

• Nicotine-free vapes

• Nicotine vapes

• Traditional cigarettes

The results? All three negatively affected blood vessel function, even those without nicotine.

Nicotine-containing vapes caused the most significant damage—but even zero-nicotine vaping led to noticeable vascular impairment, according to the study.

“This research shows that smoking and vaping can have immediate effects on blood vessels throughout the body,” said Dr. Marianna Nabbout, one of the study’s authors.

“If just one session of vaping can cause this kind of reaction in the blood vessels, it’s reasonable to be concerned about what long-term use might do.”

The Bottom Line

If you turned to vaping as a safer option, or just thought it was harmless fun—this study is a wake-up call. Even vaping without nicotine can take a toll on your heart and lungs.

So before you take another puff, consider the real risks. And if this information surprised you, share it—someone else might need to hear it too.