There’s not enough data to support the claim that vaping is helpful in smoking cessation, although it seems there are fewer harmful chemicals in vaping than in cigarette smoking. However, there’s plenty of data that shows hookah smokers are inhaling nicotine and other chemicals found in cigarettes. That may put them at risk of developing the same cancers and other ailments, such as heart disease, as cigarette smokers. There is also reason to believe that people who start vaping may go on to smoke cigarettes, which obviously is not good. The same applies to hookah smoking. Even the non-tobacco types of hookah products create carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals that, when ignited, could impact a person’s health risk. Bottom line: It’s best not to vape or smoke anything. David O. Wilson, MD, MPH, is associate director of the Lung Cancer Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Editor's Note: This article was originally published on January 31, 2018, and was last reviewed on July 13, 2023.