Because of all the "fake news" out there, I don't know what to believe anymore. Some say that the vaping-related deaths are due to misuse of the vaping machine (e.g., putting cannabis in it instead of prescribed refills), or the cheap brands of vaping machines that aren't tested appropriately. In other news, long before the vaping ban, there were some vaping machines that literally exploded on people, due to the batteries in them or something. That was enough for me to avoid vaping altogether. But I also met a person who worked at the last university I had attended (in the United States) who vaped instead of smoked, and she worked in the Psychology Dept. She was an older woman who worked as an administrator, I believe. I was trying to quit smoking at the time, and about 4 years ago, she suggested vaping to me. When I read about the explosions back then, I was immediately deterred and didn't want to take the chance of yet another trauma in my life. So I tried the patch and have went back on/off smoking since then - trying to quit. I'm not sure what that older woman would do now that vaping is being banned all over the place; it was her way of quitting tobacco, or at least the tar in tobacco, even if nicotine was still an issue.

It is my understanding and personal experience that there are at least two addictions involved with smoking cigarettes:

1. Nicotine addiction
2. Oral fixation addiction (having to put something in your mouth, or the routine of doing something with your hands to mouth)

When people have attempted to quit smoking, it would appear (in my personal experiences and observations) that...

1. Nicotine addiction got replaced with some other substance (potentially addictive) to relieve anxiety, negative moods such as anger, stress, boredom, etc - such as food, cannabis of some kind, pacing, sleeping, exercise, alcohol, etc.
2. The oral fixation got replaced with some other hand-to-mouth action or hand action (potentially addictive) to relieve that craving for such action, such as (over)eating food, drinking water, smoking cannabis of some kind, drinking liquor, nail biting, skin biting around nails, knitting, writing, organizing, drawing, typing, hand exercises, etc.

While some of the replacements are relatively safe (e.g., drinking water, exercising, knitting, writing, organizing, drawing, typing, hand exercises, other replacements were an extension of the originating problems concerning oral fixations AND self-medicating anxieties/stress intolerance/negative mood intolerance/boredom, which may potentially cause other addiction or physiological or mental problems, such as overeating/obesity, cannabis addiction, nail biting addiction, skin biting addiction, some other food/substance addiction, typographia-like conditions, oversleeping/sleep-wake disorders/problems, etc.

Vaping, it would seem, is an extension of the oral fixation addiction that is part of smoking addiction, and if nicotine is used, then the nicotine addiction remains.

The same occurs with using the patch or nicotine gum; the nicotine addiction remains, even though the doses are reduced over time, but the oral fixation addictions are somewhat curbed by the patch, but not by the nicotine gum.

I've even heard of people who were able to combat their nicotine addiction but not the oral fixation addiction revert to sucking straws (empty), nail biting (that's what I was doing), obsessive water drinking (though not that harmful, I don't think), ice eating (which is harmful to teeth; ask any dentist), gum chewing (non-nicotine; which can be harmful for those with TMJ problems), overeating (which is what causes weight gain most of the time in those who have become nonsmokers), etc.

Vaping is one stepping stone to combating nicotine addiction if flavored juices are used in place of nicotine, but the oral fixation addictions remain.

The patch is one stepping stone to combating the oral fixation addiction, but the nicotine addiction remains.

Tar (found in cigarettes) is presumably the problem with cancer-related issues, but how safe exactly is nicotine alone, are the inhalation of non-nicotine juices alone, etc.?

And alcohol use disorders, including addictions, binge drinking (without addiction), binge drinking (with addiction), etc., are also problematic. My father had alcoholism and eventually passed away from it. Alcohol doesn't just harm the person consuming it in large quantities, but also their behaviors that can harm others, such as their children, spouses, passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians or bystanders (from DUI-involved accidents), etc. So, yes, alcoholism is a huge problem, though some are able to consume those in moderation.

Any amount of cigarette use, however, is problematic, no matter if consumed in "moderation" (e.g., one cig a day or occasional cigs from time to time) because it affects others' breathing, not just our own, due to secondhand smoke. Cigarettes affect the smoker and the nonsmokers around them. And if smoking cigarettes while driving, the ashes can affect passengers behind them, as will the secondhand smoke. It can also cause a loss of concentration if accidentally dropping a cig while driving, which can also cause accidents. If someone flicks their cigarette butt out of the window while driving, that can cause harm to passengers or perhaps the driver behind them, if the cig gets flung in their way. So, yes, cigarettes are also a huge problem. And I'm still addicted to cigarettes despite knowing all this! But, I want to change and not cause harm to myself or others. It is a process. I will do it eventually.

Vaping is relatively new, so there's a lack of data and replication of research to substantiate claims of secondhand vaping problems, vaping accidents, vaping flavor use effects, and other substances used within vaping machines. A few deaths from this is alarming enough for the public to take issue, though many deaths from cigarettes and alcohol should also be considered.

Although there are some people who can only have one drink and benefit from a glass of wine once a week, there are others who cannot. Alcohol is one of those substances that can be tolerated by some but not by others, and can be used in cooking certain meals. It's not always unsafe, but it can be. It's controversial.

Smoking is, however, harmful no matter what. That, honestly, should be banned before any vaping gets banned. There is no amount of cigarette smoking that is safe, unlike alcohol, when used in moderation. One puff of a cigarette can cause harm.

Vaping liquids may be controversial. We inhale toxic fumes every day - from smog, from gas stations, from vehicular exhausts, from fires/bbqs/fireplaces, etc. A controlled and studied liquid may or may not be as safe as the other toxic fumes (apart from cigarette smoke) that we inhale everyday. Nevertheless, the issue with needing such a substance remains. It's not natural or normal to inhale from cigarettes or from vapes. But why do we do it? And what are the problems that can arise from it? As with anything potentially dangerous, people get scared and want to prevent danger. Laws then get created to prevent danger. Unfortunately, laws have also been reversed when some evidence supports that the danger can be minimized under certain conditions. For cigarettes, there are no conditions that will minimize danger; it's all toxic. For vaping, who knows. For liquor, it's up to the individual to know themselves well enough if they are addiction-prone or binge-prone, and to stop themselves if so. For those who have never been addicted (or even traumatized in the ways that many persons with addiction problems have been), they may not understand the hardships faced when abruptly withdrawing from substances used to self-medicate or self-soothe or both. Alternatives need to be in place before a ban, but "normies" don't understand that. They may not care because they see addiction as immoral behaviors, as opposed to symptoms of mental illness. They may not know that recovery is a process, not just a simple decision.

Anyway, that's just my two cents. I don't know much about this because I'm addicted to nicotine/smoking cigarettes (not vaping).