Many people see vaping as a great alternative to cigarettes as you don’t inhale the likes of toxic chemicals, tar, or carbon monoxide. While that’s true, the two of them still share many similarities, including nicotine.
That leads to the question of how many packs of cigarettes are in a vape. Here we’ll take a closer look at their relative nicotine content while also looking at some other important factors. Read on to find out more!
How Many Packs of Cigarette are in a Vape?
We can’t really get an accurate result when it comes to determining the number of cigarettes present in a vape. But we can look at estimates to give you an accurate idea.
There is, on average, around 12 milligrams of nicotine in a cigarette, but most of that gets burnt away. It’s estimated that you only inhale between 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine per cigarette, so let’s call that 1.5mg.
An average-strength 3ml tank of vape juice would have around 36mg of nicotine in it. We can already see that it takes a lot of cigarettes to reach that figure, but just how many?
Going by 1.5mg of nicotine per cigarette, that would take 24 cigarettes to get up to the 36mg of nicotine that is in an average 3ml tank. However, these exact figures can vary by quite a lot.
Is It Just Nicotine?
As you may have noticed, we have only compared cigarettes to vaping there when it comes to nicotine. But you may be wondering if there are other ways that the two can compare, and can vape ever be as harmful as smoking?
The answer is that as far as health concerns go, it’s only nicotine that you need to think about. Vapes don’t have a wide number of harmful ingredients that can be found in cigarettes. You can use them without worrying about severe health impacts.
For example, cigarettes contain tar and smoking one means that you breathe in carbon monoxide. These are both negatives that you don’t need to consider with vaping. The only proven aspect to worry about with vapes is nicotine addiction, which is low-risk with moderate use.
So, let’s bring it back to the main question of how many packs of cigarettes are in a vape. The question only makes sense when comparing their nicotine absorption. But let’s look at why they can be so difficult to compare.
How Much Nicotine is in a Cigarette?
People who smoke just enjoy their cigarettes, but not everyone stops to think about how much nicotine is in there. An average stick has about 10mg to 14mg of nicotine, but depending on the brand and type of cigarette, the nicotine content varies.
The lowest amount of nicotine content in a cigarette could be 6mg, but it can go as high as 28mg per stick. It’s also good to note that not every mg is inhaled per puff. However, as we mentioned above, it’s estimated that you only absorb around 1.5mg of nicotine from a cigarette.
If we expand on this estimate and make it a pack of 20 sticks of cigarettes, then the nicotine amount that you’re inhaling is often around 30mg. But with cigarettes with high nicotine content, this could be considerably higher.
The Amount of Nicotine in Vapes
Cigarettes aren’t the only products that have a variety of nicotine doses. Vape juices come in different doses as well. These come in zero nicotine levels, as well of 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, and 18mg per mL.
You can also find cartridges with high nicotine levels of 24mg to 36mg per mL. These are ideal for vapers with higher tolerance levels.
On the simpler side of the scale, e-liquids have an amount number of nicotine per disposable. One disposable vape that has a 2mL tank, plus 20mg nicotine/Nic Salt, has 40mg in its whole disposable. That is 2mL x 20mg. These numbers are the reason why most disposables are suggested to equal approximately a pack of 20 cigarettes.
On vape juices, we know these come in tons of varieties, so the nicotine amount in each differs too. It’s challenging to determine the exact amount due to the varieties available.
But generally, one mL of vape juice equates to 100 puffs (or four to five packs of cigarettes). You can consider this as a standard benchmark for vape = cigarette ratios.
Aside from the amount of nicotine, vape juices also have different strength levels of nicotine. These can range from zero to 20mg, but it all comes down to your vaping habits.
People who are switching may use higher contents of nicotine, while social smokers often use vape juices with lower nicotine content. The average content of nicotine in vape juices goes between 3mg to 8mg, and most users are comfortable with this.
How Many Puffs of a Vape is Equal to a Cigarette?
Generally, the number of puffs that equal one stick varies, again, on the kind of vape you’re using. It also depends on how deep you breathe for every puff, and the levels of nicotine in your vape juice.
Here are some figures that could help you better determine the puffs:
- One drop of vape juice should give you about seven puffs, and every mL of vape juice should give you 20 drops.
- 14 puffs are often equal to one cigarette.
Generally, the nicotine amount absorbed by your body will be lower. But you can use these to get rough estimates.
The nicotine in a single vape can equate to 50 sticks of cigarettes. But depending on the vape size and nicotine strength, it can get even higher.
Should I Be Worried About Nicotine?
If you’ve switched from cigarettes to vaping, then you are probably wondering if they can still cause serious long-term health issues. It has been said that vaping is at least 95% better for you than smoking, which is a humongous difference.
Vaping isn’t good for you, but it hasn’t been proven to be particularly dangerous either. The only real cause for concern is the use of nicotine. However, nicotine isn’t too dangerous, and its side effects are very similar to other stimulants, such as caffeine.
Perhaps the biggest negative of nicotine is how addictive it is. This is part of the reason why it’s advised that the only people who should vape are those who are using it as an alternative to cigarettes.
If you are making the switch from cigarettes to vaping, then you shouldn’t be worried about nicotine, at least not for now. It’s a much healthier option, so if you’re reading this article as an ex-smoker, anxious about the effects of vaping, don’t worry.
Beware Misleading Nicotine Labels on Disposable Vape?
An additional concern to be aware of with disposable vapes is the potential discrepancy between labeled and actual nicotine content. Some unknown vape manufacturers may falsely list nicotine levels on their products. For example, a disposable may claim to only contain 2% nicotine when in reality it has 5%. This makes the vape seem smoother and higher quality to users than it really is.
That’s why choosing reputable, brand name disposable vapes like those from Spiritbar Vape and other leading companies is so important. Well-known brands have accountability to provide accurate labeling and formulations. They rigorously test their e-liquids in labs to verify the exact nicotine content matches what’s printed on the package.
With lesser-known disposable vape companies, you really have no way of knowing if the stated nicotine level is truthful or exaggerated. It’s better to stick with transparent, trusted brands that provide third-party verification of ingredients. This gives you confidence you’re getting the actual amount of nicotine advertised, not something unexpectedly higher or lower.
FAQs
1. How many packets of cigarettes is a vape?
As we’ve seen above, getting a definitive answer to this question is extremely difficult. However, a vape is roughly the equivalent of one pack of cigarettes. Higher-strength vapes may be closer to two packs of cigarettes.
2. Is vaping worse than a cigarette?
No, and it’s not even close. While not recommended for ex-smokers, vaping doesn’t have the same huge list of serious health implications that smoking does. As a comparison between the two, vaping is a much better option.
3. Does vaping stain teeth?
Yes, it can, but not as much as cigarettes. Teeth discoloration with cigarettes is mostly caused by tar, but nicotine is a contributing factor. With vaping, you don’t need to worry about the tar, but the nicotine will still cause mild discoloration.
4. What does vaping do to your lungs?
There isn’t a lot of long-term research on the effects of vaping. With vaping, you still inhale toxic chemicals, but only in a very small percentage when compared to smoking. It doesn’t have the same negative effect as smoking, but exactly what it does to your lungs is largely unknown.
5. How long do vape withdrawals last?
With vape withdrawals, we’re talking about nicotine withdrawal. The exact timeline will depend on how often and how much you vape. You’ll start to feel mild symptoms soon after vaping, usually within an hour or two.
After that, you’ll most likely have irritability for one or two days. Then comes the worst of the withdrawal symptoms around days 3 to 5. A cough, headaches, and fatigue are the most common symptoms here. Once a week has passed, your symptoms should slowly start fading away. However, they can last for a few weeks.
Conclusion
Vaping is a much healthier alternative to cigarettes. In terms of how many packs of cigarettes are in a vape, it’s only really nicotine content where the two compare. As we’ve seen, in this respect, there are around 24 cigarettes in every vape.
However, that exact figure can vary wildly depending on a wide range of different factors. If you’re switching from cigarettes to vapes, then don’t be too worried about the health risks. Just make sure the nicotine you’re absorbing is similar to your previous nicotine intake.
