While vapes, or e-cigarettes, do not contain shredded tobacco leaves in their liquid, the vast majority of vape products do have a direct link to the tobacco plant through the nicotine they contain. The e-liquid, or vape juice, that is vaporized and inhaled is typically a mixture of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), flavorings, and nicotine. This nicotine is most commonly extracted from tobacco plants.
However, the landscape of vaping products is evolving. A distinction exists between the more prevalent e-cigarettes and another category of devices known as dry herb vaporizers. These devices are designed to heat actual plant material, including tobacco leaves, to produce a vapor for inhalation, thus offering a direct way to vape tobacco.
Furthermore, the source of nicotine in e-liquids is not always the tobacco plant. A growing segment of the market utilizes synthetic nicotine, which is created in a laboratory setting and is not derived from tobacco.
In summary, to answer the question “do vapes have tobacco?”:
- E-liquid vapes do not contain solid tobacco leaf.
- Most e-liquids contain nicotine that is extracted from the tobacco plant.
- Some e-liquids use synthetic nicotine, which has no connection to the tobacco plant.
- A separate category of devices, dry herb vaporizers, can be used to vape actual tobacco leaves.
Therefore, while you are not inhaling burned tobacco as you would with a traditional cigarette, the connection to tobacco remains strong for the majority of vaping products due to the origin of the nicotine.