5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know Johns Hopkins Medicine Vaping is the act of inhaling a heated, aerosolized substance. It is critical to distinguish vaping from smoking. Smoking is the inhalation of a burned substance. The main difference between the two ASHES, Vol. 17(9) Are vaping and smoking similar, in terms of quitting? BASIS (The Brief Addiction Science Information Source) Vapes and E Cigs Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)