How Many Puffs of Vape Is Equal to a Cigarette?

Smoking cigarettes is frowned upon, and not just for the number of carcinogens. Smokers have to contend with stained teeth, unpleasant coughs, and a distinct odor that just won’t go away.

Vape devices have emerged as the healthier, less offensive alternative to smoking cigarettes. E-cigarettes help people break their smoking habit and they also contain enough nicotine to satisfy their cravings.

Given that electronic cigarettes are the new cigarettes, it’s no wonder that so many vapers are wondering how to translate their cigarette habits to vape devices. So, how many puffs of vape is equal to a cigarette?

Smoking Vs Vaping: Health Benefits

Why waste time converting cigarette puffs into vape puffs? Why don’t we all just keep smoking?

The truth is that a smoking habit can be deadly. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that ‘tobacco kills up to half of its users’ which accounts for more than 8 million deaths per year. 7 million of these deaths are a result of direct cigarette use, whereas 1.2 million are a result of second-hand cigarette smoke.

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Health and Social Services concluded that ‘the evidence is sufficient to infer casual relationship between smoking and cancers of the lung, larynx, oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas…’ The list goes on.

To clarify, both traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes contain nicotine. The main difference is that e-cigarettes use vape juices, which don’t contain tobacco. By eliminating tobacco, the vaping industry has eliminated around 70 life-threatening carcinogens.

This is why so many people switch from smoking to vaping. They can get the same nicotine content, but without the disadvantages that come with inhaling tobacco.

What Is a Puff Count?

Before we dive right in, we need to understand what vape puffs are. No matter what vape device you choose, the manufacturer should have set a puff count. The puff count tells you how many drags you can expect from your device.

Puff counts are more common among disposable vape devices, but manufacturers should also set expectations for vape pods.

Lots of things can impact the overall puff count. It’s always dependent on the individual. If they prefer taking long, drawn-out drags on their device, they will get far fewer puffs than someone who prefers short drags.

How Many Vape Puffs Are in One Cigarette?

In general, one milliliter of vape juice equals 100 puffs. 100 puffs are around 10 cigarettes. Following this logic, you have to take 10 puffs of your vape juice to consume the equivalent of a cigarette.

Of course, this is all dependent on the type of e-liquid, the e-liquid strength, and your personal preferences.

What Is Equivalent to a Pack of Cigarettes?

In terms of vape hits, the answer is simple. One milliliter of vape juice is 100 hits, which is equivalent to half a pack of cigarettes. Two milliliters of vape juice is equal to one pack of cigarettes.

If we are talking about nicotine intake, the answer is different. One bottle of 16ml nicotine-strength liquid is equal to one cigarette. If you want to consume the same amount of nicotine that is in a pack of cigarettes, you’ll have to consume twenty full bottles of 16ml strength liquid. Remember, these bottles could be any size.

To consume your preferred nicotine content as quickly as possible, you should choose the highest-strength liquid in the smallest bottle.

Read How Much Nicotine Is In a Cigarette? for more information.

Common E-liquid Bottle Sizes

Now that you know how much vape juice you need to consume your preferred amount of nicotine, you need to understand bottle sizes.

When you purchase your first starter kit, you will also have to purchase a few bottles of liquid.

In general, vape juices come in bottles that are 10ml, 30ml, 60ml, and 120ml. If you want to be super cost-effective, you can stock up on 120ml bottles.

If you prefer disposables, your device will come pre-filled with vape juice. You don’t have to worry about refilling your kit, so just read the box to find the puff count.

How Nicotine Strength Alters Puff Count

Nicotine strength is one of the most important components of vaping. You can choose from a wide range of nicotine strengths. You can even buy 0mg strength liquids!

Remember, 16mg nicotine strength e-liquid is equal to one cigarette. You will only consume the same amount of nicotine by using the entire bottle, which very few vapers manage in one day. As a result, vapers who use e-liquid that contains 16mg or less of nicotine often consume less nicotine overall. This is just one of the ways that vaping is healthier than smoking conventional cigarettes.

If you opt for the lower end of the scale, you will have to take more drags on your vape to consume nicotine that is equal to a cigarette. 3mg strength vape juice will satisfy your nicotine addiction is far less than 16mg strength liquid. In fact, you would have to vape five entire bottles of 3mg strength vape juice to consume the same amount of nicotine that is in just one cigarette.

What Nicotine Strength Should I Choose?

Nicotine content is a very personal thing. You can choose from a sliding scale of strengths, meaning there’s something to suit every taste bud. 3mg, 6mg, 18mg, and 36mg nicotine-strength liquids are all available.

For a more in-depth insight into this question, read Understanding Nicotine Strengths and Percentages.

Heavy Smokers

Do you have a high nicotine tolerance? In that case, your nicotine consumption will be on the higher end, probably at 36mg per bottle.

One important thing to mention is that 36mg nicotine content e-liquids will give you a harsher throat hit than a typical cigarette. Initially, you may be shocked by the intensity, but you will become accustomed to it.

If the intensity is becoming unbearable, you should try menthol and/or ice-flavored vape juices. Another option is nic salts, which provide less intense throat hits.

Light Smokers

In contrast, people who have a low tolerance will have a lower average nicotine content consumption. 3mg is as low as you can go before you hit 0mg strength e-liquids.

Freebase Nicotine Vs Salt Nicotine

Freebase nicotine is the most popular type. It’s in most of the e-liquids on the market and is compatible with most starter kits. It sits on the basic end of the pH scale, meaning it produces a harsh throat hit.

In contrast, nic salts are modified to have a neutral pH. These kinds of e-liquids offer a smoother vaping experience. The good news is that they can still carry high doses of nicotine, meaning you can satisfy your nicotine cravings.

Does Nicotine Intake Impact the Throat Hit?

When we talk about the amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes, we have to mention throat hits.

A throat hit happens when you inhale nicotine. The nicotine in the vapor hits the back of your throat and causes a tingling sensation. If you are not accustomed to the feeling of a throat hit, it might take you by surprise. This is why lots of new smokers and vapers cough on their first few inhales.

Providing that you are using an e-liquid that contains freebase nicotine, you can use this rule: the higher the nicotine content, the harsher the throat hit.

Will Cigarettes or E-liquids Give Me More Nicotine?

Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer to this question.

As we’ve discussed, it’s much easier to get a high dose of nicotine from cigarettes. One cigarette is equal to roughly 16ml of nicotine-strength e-juice, and you would have to take ten puffs of this e-liquid to consume a cigarette.

However, this doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically get more nicotine from cigarettes. The great thing about e-juices is that they are available in lots of different nicotine strengths. 3mg is the lowest, and 36mg tends to be the highest.

If you are in the UK, the highest nicotine-strength e-liquid is 20mg, which is usually enough to satisfy even the most experienced vaper. The US has less strict laws on nicotine products, so the maximum strength is higher.

Should I Smoke and Vape at the Same Time?

Believe it or not, lots of people use conventional cigarettes and vape devices at the same time. This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s a good way to transition away from smoking.

It’s no secret that cigarettes contain toxic chemicals. Whereas cigarettes contain tobacco leaves, e-juice does not. Vaping manufacturers extract nicotine from tobacco leaves and add it to e-liquids to create a satisfying vape experience without any of the carcinogenic chemicals.

Heavy smokers can drastically reduce their consumption of nicotine by introducing e-cigarettes to their routine. Of course, this only works if they scale down the amount of cigarettes that they smoke.

If you don’t feel confident enough to completely eliminate cigarettes, try reducing the amount that you smoke per week. If you smoke 100 a week, eliminate 20 and replace them with an equivalent vape juice.

Will Vaping Help Me Quit Smoking?

One of the biggest claims in the vaping world is that vaping will help you quit smoking. Throughout this article, we’ve backed the claim that vaping is a good alternative to smoking, but what is the science?

By analyzing 61 studies about the effectiveness of e-cigarettes, Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and others discovered that using e-cigarettes is the most successful way to quit smoking. They estimated that out of every 100 people who quit smoking through vaping, nine to 14 are successful. In contrast, out of every 100 people who quit smoking through other methods, only four to seven smokers are successful.

The research suggests that smokers have a high chance of quitting cigarettes when they switch to vaping. In essence, e-cigarettes are nicotine delivery systems. Smokers can get the nicotine that they crave, but without all the harmful chemicals that are in tobacco.

Does Anything Have a Higher Nicotine Content Than Cigarettes?

Nicotine content is no joke, and it should always be handled with caution. If you’re certain that you can handle higher nicotine-strength products than the average person, you should try cigars.

The average cigar has between 100 and 200 milligrams of nicotine. Some brands even have as much as 400 milligrams of nicotine, which is a humongous jump from the sort of nicotine levels that you will find in cigarettes and e-liquids.

It’s important to remember that cigars are not designed to be consumed in the same way as cigarettes. With cigarettes, you inhale the vapor into your mouth and then into your lungs. With cigars, you inhale the vapor into your mouth, hold it there for a few moments, then release it. The purpose of cigars is to enjoy to scent, throat hit, and richness of the vapor.

Just to be clear, moderate smokers will struggle with cigars. You should not use cigars unless you already consume high levels of nicotine.

What Will Happen If I Consume Too Much Nicotine?

Nicotine sickness happens when you consume too much nicotine. If you switch from smoking one cigarette a day to using high nicotine-strength e-liquid, you could be in danger of feeling nic sick.

Here are some of the signs of nicotine sickness.

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomachache

What Is Nicotine Poisoning?

Nicotine poisoning is the far more extreme version of nicotine sickness. Here are the symptoms.

• Abdominal cramps
• Difficulty breathing
• Seizures
• Fainting

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 to 60 milligrams of nicotine is a deadly dose for adults that weigh 150 lbs. If you think that you have consumed too much nicotine and have nicotine poisoning, you need to seek medical attention.

Wrapping Up

Next time someone asks you ‘how many puffs of vape is equal to a cigarette?’ you can tell them the answer, and even explain the advantages and disadvantages of switching to vaping.

Ultimately, switching from smoking to vaping might take a few weeks. While you become acclimatized to vaping tech, you can experiment with different nicotine strengths, e-liquid flavors, and even types of liquids.