Smoke or vapour? Expert clarifies what vape users are inhaling into their bodies

As vape culture continues to rise, have you ever wondered, besides nicotine, what goes into the fine mist that users are inhaling?

Speaking to CapeTalk’s Lester Kiewit, Catherine Egbe, senior specialist scientist at the South African Medical Research Council's tobacco research arm, said that it was more than just fruity flavoured smoke.

She explained that these large plumes come from vegetable glycerine in the e-liquid.

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"That is the component that makes the big clouds, it is smooth on their throats, so they feel it is sweet and okay for them… We call it aerosol, not smoke."

The mixture also contains propylene glycol and flavourings, which are used to hide the harsh taste of the nicotine. 

She emphasised that when heated, these components form substances that are harmful to the body.

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"Yes, some of these products are made from plants but they have not been tested to be smokes. It is just like someone saying that because we drink water everyday, we can smoke water… Your lungs are not meant for those things," Egbe says.

To listen to Egbe in conversation with CapeTalk’s Lester Kiewit, click the video player below: