Have you ever watched someone exhale a thick cloud from a vape and wondered what it actually was and what's in it? "Vapour" is the common word for it, but it's worth understanding what's really in it and how it forms.
How Vapour Forms
The mechanism behind how a vape produces vapour is actually pretty simple. It's achieved by heating e-liquid, or "juice" as many vapers call it, using a heating element powered by a battery. When the juice heats up, it turns into an inhalable mist, or aerosol, which the user breathes in and exhales as the visible cloud we see.
The Misconception
It's called vapour because it resembles the steam produced when boiling water, which leads some people to assume it's just like steam. But the vapour produced by vapes is different. It is technically an aerosol rather than steam, and although both can be produced by heating a liquid, the two are fundamentally different.
Steam is produced by boiling water and is the product of a phase change, where liquid water changes into gas. Heat weakens the bonds between water molecules, which effectively expands the space between them and turns the liquid into gas. Fundamentally, it is still water, just in a different state, and it returns to liquid form when it cools.
Vape aerosol, on the other hand, is a liquid-in-gas suspension rather than a simple phase change. Though they look similar, the two are fundamentally different. When e-liquid is heated by the coil, it vaporises. As the vaporised e-liquid moves from the coil toward the mouthpiece and cools, it rapidly condenses back into microscopic liquid droplets. Those droplets pass through the user's airways and are exhaled as a dense, cloud-like suspension in the air. That's why exhaled vapour looks thick and heavy.
E-liquid vaporises at the coil, then rapidly condenses into microscopic droplets suspended in air as it cools, forming the visible aerosol.
Why Is It Important?
Understanding the distinction between water vapour and vape aerosol matters for a few reasons.
Public health and safety. The vapour exhaled when vaping is a concentration of active ingredients, including nicotine where present, carried in microscopic liquid droplets rather than plain water vapour. Because these droplets pass through the respiratory tract, exposure to someone else's exhaled aerosol can irritate the airways and, in some people, trigger reactions such as asthma symptoms. It's worth being mindful of where you vape and following New Zealand's rules on where it isn't allowed.
Responsible use. Knowing what you inhale and exhale is a basic part of being a responsible vaper. This is part of why New Zealand has strict regulations on vape product labelling, so users know what they're taking in.
So next time you exhale a cloud of vapour, you'll know what's actually in it. Being mindful of where and around whom you vape is a simple way to keep yourself and the people around you more comfortable.
Sources
- Particle Size Dynamics: Toward a Better Understanding of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol Interactions With the Respiratory System — PMC
- Electronic Cigarette Power Affects Count Concentration and Particle Size Distribution of Vaping Aerosol — PLOS ONE
- Effects of Secondhand Exposure to E-Cigarette Aerosol on Lung Health: A Systematic Review — Journal of Public Health
This article is for general educational purposes only and does not promote vaping or any specific product. Vaping products are restricted to adults 18+ under New Zealand's Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act.