How Many Cigarettes Are in a Vape?Updated 4 months 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.