Smoking versus Vaping Just How Harmful Is Vaping? More Evidence Is Emerging. The New York Times When People Both Vape and Smoke, They Don't Swap Cigarettes for E Cigs We were shocked': Vaping considerably increases lung cancer risk among people who smoke Vaping isn't harmless. Early nicotine use can harm brain development, affect how nerve cells work, and increase the risk of addiction. Young people who vape are 4x more likely to start smoking