As vaping gains traction among Nigerian youth and smoking remains a persistent public health challenge, health experts are intensifying debates over which habit poses the greater risk, with new data emerging on October 8, 2025, highlighting alarming trends. The conversation is timely as Nigeria grapples with tobacco control measures and the rising popularity of e-cigarettes, prompting urgent calls for regulation and awareness.

 

Rising Trends in Nigeria

Recent surveys by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) indicate a 15% increase in vaping among youths aged 15-24 in urban centers like Lagos and Abuja since 2023, with an estimated 1.2 million users as of mid-2025.

Meanwhile, traditional smoking prevalence holds steady at 5.6% of the adult population (over 7 million people), per the 2024 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), with Lagos accounting for a significant share.

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The surge in vaping, fueled by sleek marketing and flavored e-liquids, has raised concerns among health advocates, especially as smoking-related deaths—over 27,000 annually—continue to strain healthcare systems.

Social media platforms like X reflect this shift, with #VapeLife trending locally, boasting 8,500 mentions in the past week, often showcasing colorful vape devices. Posts from users like @VapeNaijaKing claim, “Vaping is safer, no tar like cigarettes,” while @HealthWatchNG counters, “Don’t be fooled—vaping’s long-term effects are unknown.”

 

Health Risks: Vaping vs. Smoking

Dr. Chika Eze, a pulmonologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, asserts that smoking remains the deadlier vice. “Cigarettes contain over 7,000 chemicals, including 70 known carcinogens, causing lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke,” she explained in an interview today at 04:30 PM WAT. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates smoking kills more than 8 million people globally yearly, with Nigeria losing 1% of its GDP (N1.2 trillion in 2025) to tobacco-related illnesses.

Conversely, vaping—inhaling aerosolized nicotine or other substances via e-cigarettes—lacks the same decades of data. Dr. Eze notes, “E-cigarettes reduce exposure to tar and carbon monoxide, but they deliver nicotine, which is addictive, and contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and diacetyl, linked to lung injury.” The 2020 EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) outbreak in the U.S., killing 68 and hospitalizing 2,807, serves as a cautionary tale, though no similar outbreak has been reported in Nigeria.

A 2025 study by the University of Ibadan, released last month, found vaping users in Lagos showed early signs of respiratory irritation, with 12% reporting chronic coughs compared to 8% of non-users. Smoking, however, showed a 25% prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among long-term users.

Experts agree vaping may be less harmful but warn it’s not risk-free, especially for youth whose brains are still developing.

 

Regulatory Gaps and Public Perception

Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act (2015) bans smoking in public places and restricts advertising but lacks specific vaping regulations, leaving a legal gray area. The NCDC reported 3,500 vape shops operating nationwide by September 2025, often near schools, prompting calls for a ban. “Vaping is marketed as a cool, safe alternative, but it’s a gateway for kids to nicotine addiction,” said Prof. Tunde Salami, a public health expert at Ahmadu Bello University, in a press briefing today at 03:15 PM WAT.

Public opinion is split. A poll on X by @NaijaHealthHub (1,200 respondents) showed 58% view vaping as “less harmful” than smoking, while 42% see it as equally dangerous. Smokers like @LagosSmoker defend their choice: “I’ve smoked for 20 years, vaping can’t beat that harm,” while vape advocates argue, “It helped me quit cigarettes,” per @Vape4LifeNG.

 

Government and Expert Response

Health Minister Muhammad Pate, speaking at a WHO summit in Abuja on October 7, 2025, announced plans to draft vaping regulations by Q1 2026, citing youth vulnerability. “We must protect the next generation from both smoking and vaping traps,” he said.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) echoed this, urging taxes on e-cigarettes to curb accessibility, mirroring the N10 per cigarette stick levy under the 2015 Act.

 

Why This Matters

With Nigeria’s youth population (over 70% under 30) at risk, the vaping-smoking debate impacts public health policy and economic productivity. As Lagos hosts Africa’s largest market, unregulated trends could strain healthcare budgets—N500 billion allocated for 2025—amid rising non-communicable diseases.

 

Conclusion

As of October 8, 2025, the vaping versus smoking conundrum in Nigeria remains unresolved. While smoking’s proven lethality dwarfs vaping’s uncertain risks, both threaten a generation. With regulatory moves underway, the choice between harm reduction and prevention will shape Nigeria’s health landscape. Stay informed—your next breath depends on it.