Science & Tech Spotlight: E cigarettes U.S. GAO If you vape, you inhale a lot of harmful substances. These can damage your heart and lungs. Reality of what's inside vapes you're literally sucking on a battery Vaping may be worse than cigarettes for mitochondrial health. In vitro studies (preliminary data from Dr. Ben Bikman's lab) suggest e cigarette aerosols pose significant risks to mitochondria, increasing reactive oxygen species and Toxicity, Chemistry, and Public Health Relevance of Emerging Nicotine Analog Vapes, Pods, and Pouches Chemical Research in Toxicology Reality of what's inside vapes you're literally sucking on a battery