How Many Cigarettes Are in a Vape?Updated 15 days ago

Wondering how vaping compares to smoking traditional cigarettes? While it’s difficult to give an exact comparison between vaping and smoking due to the wide variety of devices, e-liquids, and nicotine strengths, we can offer a general guide to help you understand the relationship.

How Nicotine in Vapes Compares to Cigarettes:

1. Nicotine Content in Cigarettes:
   On average, a traditional cigarette contains about 8-12 mg of nicotine, though the amount absorbed by the body is typically much lower (around 1-2 mg per cigarette).

2. Nicotine in E-Liquids:
   E-liquids come in various nicotine strengths, typically measured in milligrams per millilitre (mg/ml). The most common strengths are:

   • 3 mg/ml (low)
   • 6 mg/ml (medium)
   • 12 mg/ml (high)
   • 18-20 mg/ml (very high, often found in nicotine salts)
   • A 1 ml pod or tank of e-liquid at 12 mg/ml would contain 12 mg of nicotine, roughly equivalent to the nicotine content in one cigarette. However, the absorption rate for nicotine from e-liquids is typically lower than that of cigarettes.

How Many Cigarettes Equal a Vape?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but here are a few general guidelines:

• Nicotine Salts (20 mg/ml): One 2 ml pod of nicotine salts at 20 mg/ml can deliver the equivalent of about a pack of cigarettes (around 20 cigarettes), depending on your vaping habits.
• Freebase Nicotine (12 mg/ml): Vaping 1 ml of e-liquid with 12 mg/ml nicotine strength is roughly equivalent to one cigarette.
• Lower Nicotine Strengths (3-6 mg/ml): If you vape e-liquids with lower nicotine strengths (3-6 mg/ml), you'll need to vape more to get the equivalent of one cigarette.

Puffs vs. Cigarettes: Another way to measure is by the number of puffs:

• On average, a cigarette lasts around 10-15 puffs.
• Disposable vapes often have a puff count of around 300-600 puffs, depending on the device, which can be roughly equivalent to a pack of cigarettes.

Summary:
The number of cigarettes in a vape depends on factors like nicotine strength, device, and vaping habits. Generally, 1 ml of 12 mg/ml e-liquid is similar to one cigarette, but the amount of nicotine absorbed may vary.

For more information on nicotine strengths and vaping, visit our Guide to Nicotine.