- Vaping is the use of an e-cigarette to smoke and consume nicotine. While safer than smoking tobacco, it’s still not good for you.
- The Bible doesn’t mention vaping, smoking, or tobacco, so there’s some debate over whether vaping is a sin.
- Based on what the Bible says about addiction, health, and indulgence, there’s good evidence that vaping could be considered a sin.
What is vaping?
Vaping is the use of an e-cigarette to consume nicotine. Vapes come in all different kinds of styles and shapes, but the most popular version are the JUUL-style pens. They come with refillable or disposable pods that allow the user to inhale vapor full of nicotine. While the science is still out when it comes to just how unhealthy vaping is, the nicotine is no different from the nicotine in a traditional cigarette. The liquid that goes into a vape contains more than 30 chemicals, and the average vape pod can contain the equivalent of more than 20 cigarettes. All things considered, it can’t be good for you. Vaping can also be used to consume marijuana, although most vape users use it to smoke nicotine.
Does the Bible talk about smoking or vaping?
No, the Bible doesn’t explicitly talk about smoking of any kind. Vapes weren’t invented until the 20th century, so the Bible is a little too old to comment on vapes specifically. There’s no mention of tobacco or cigarettes, either. However, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t offer us any guidance or wisdom on the subject. The Bible does offer guidance on addiction, alcohol, and other vices, which we can look to for wisdom. Catholics and other Christians may go back and forth on whether vaping is a sin or not, so keep an open mind, don’t judge yourself too harshly, and come to your own conclusion based on what feels true spiritually to you.
What does the Bible say?
The air you breathe was made by God (Acts 17:24-25). “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth […] He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” God was gracious enough to create the world’s clean air for you. Vaping introduces foreign chemicals into your lungs, so it’s unlikely He’d want you to cloud the air He made.
Do not allow yourself to be controlled by your desires (Galatians 5:1). "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." In other words, Christ has redeemed you for your sins and given you freedom, so why would you give that up? Nicotine is addictive, so on those grounds you may be making yourself a slave to it.
Treat your body like a temple and be kind to it (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” The message here is clear—do not engage in behavior that you know would damage or injure your body. Even if vaping is better for you than smoking cigarettes, which does seem to be the case, it’s still not good for you.
If you think something is a sin, it’s probably a sin (Romans 14:23). “But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” If you have doubts in your heart about whether something you put in your body is sinful or not, your heart is telling you something. God wants you to live confidently in your faith, and if you have doubts about vaping, listen to them. Romans 14:23 is about Christians eating unclean meat, but the same principals apply to anything you’d put in your body. You could argue the reverse is true, too. If you don’t have doubts that it’s a sin, it may not be. That’s not to say that you can overrule God when it comes to what’s acceptable, just that God knows what’s in your heart when you consume something.
Be righteous by keeping your mind unclouded (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8). “…stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.” In other words, if you do anything that intoxicates you or artificially alters your headspace, you are not living according to God’s word. If you didn’t know, nicotine is a stimulant and psychoactive chemical. Even if you don’t feel like it’s changing your headspace, it is.
Physical cravings only belong to the realm of man (1 John 2:16). “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see […] These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” If you’re Catholic, the first letter of John offers some unique insight. Here, you might think of vaping like any urge, such as an urge for sugar, or alcohol, or sex, or whatever. If it’s not done in the name of God, it may not be a sin but it’s definitely not righteous. If you’re Protestant, you may not recognize 1 John—it’s not officially in the canon.
Conclusion
There’s some evidence that vaping could be a sin. While it isn’t spelled out in the Bible, there’s a plethora of solid evidence that God wouldn’t want you to smoke or vape. Even if it’s not a sin by definition, it’s certainly not healthy or good for you. If you’re thinking about quitting, use this information as the extra encouragement you need. If you found that your child is experimenting with vaping, talk to them about potential risks. If you haven’t started vaping yet, remember that nicotine is highly addictive. If you aren’t trying to quit smoking cigarettes, it’s probably not worth the risk. If you want to vape to get off of cigarettes, that’s not a terrible way to go. There’s good scientific evidence vaping can help you get off nicotine, and it’s a lot better for you than the cigarettes are.
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