Just How Harmful Is Vaping? More Evidence Is Emerging. The New York Times ? () Although often promoted as safer than traditional cigarettes, e cigarettes still harm the body in many ways. 1. Health Risks Most vapes contain nicotine, Secondhand smoke and secondhand aerosol Some reports state that these new, flavored smoking devices are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes but how safe is vaping? In this third part of a four part series, China Daily examines the E Cigarettes and Vaping OHSU