Want to quit smoking? Vaping is not the answer Study: heated tobacco less harmful than cigarettes, but much more so than vapes Vaping Post Vaping is less harmful than smoking, experts say. Why don't smokers know this? Scienceline Many people believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking, but that's a common misconception. In fact, in addition to nicotine, vapes can contain toxic chemicals that could be linked to cancer,