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Vaping may appear to be a safer alternative to smoking, but experts say neither is really safe. And because both contain nicotine, the ingredient that makes tobacco products addictive, quitting either is often a difficult task.

"Existing evidence suggests that vaping exposes the user to fewer toxic chemical compounds than are in cigarette smoke," Alejandra Ellison-Barnes, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Tobacco Treatment and Cancer Screening Clinic, tells USA TODAY. "However, vaping is not without risk. ... Because vaping products are not well regulated, we don't always know what ingredients are in them that could cause health problems."

If you're trying to quit — or trying to help a loved one try to quit — this is what health experts want you to know first.

"It's never too late to quit," Tracy Smith, Ph.D., associate professor at Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center, tells USA TODAY.

How to quit vaping

Some people choose to quit cold turkey, but that may not be realistic for everyone, experts note. Nicotine is addicting and not always easy to shake. Many health experts suggest coming up with a quit plan, which is usually comprised of slowly weaning off the addictive substance while also working with a professional.

"The approach to stopping vaping is similar to what we recommend for smoking," says Dr. Ellison-Barnes. "We know that for smoking, a combination of counseling and medications has been found to work best."

Smith adds: "For people who vape but previously smoked cigarettes, it is critical that they do not return to cigarette smoking because returning to cigarette smoking would be worse."

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Is vaping better than smoking?

Vaping poses less of a health risk compared to smoking — if a person is struggling with quitting cigarettes cold turkey, switching to a nicotine vaping product would "drastically reduce your exposure to these toxicants until you are ready to quit using nicotine altogether," Smith says. But that still doesn't mean it's safe or good for you.

Cigarette smokers are about 25 times more likely to develop lung cancer, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Smoking e-cigarettes has been also linked to chronic lung disease and asthma, according to a 2020 study by Johns Hopkins Medicine. Experts also point out that because vaping is a newer concept, there is still much they haven't discovered.

"We don't yet know all of the effects associated with long-term use," Dr. Ellison-Barnes says. "Additionally, because vaping products are not well regulated, we don't always know what ingredients are in them that could cause health problems."

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In addition to lung health, research has shown that nicotine, which is found in both regular and e-cigarettes, raises blood pressure, heart rate and with them, the likelihood of having a heart attack. Cigarette smokers are two to four times as likely to develop coronary heart disease and stroke, according to the CDC.

"There are some short-term data showing that people who switch completely from smoking cigarettes to vaping have improved lung function, but we would expect the biggest improvements from quitting altogether," Smith says.