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Gen Z fueling tobacco sales as wild claims cigarettes are ‘healthier’ than vaping go viral: ‘plant-based alternative’
Some Gen Z users are claiming that cigarettes make them feel healthier than vaping, and social media posts promoting the idea have attracted large audiences. The trend matters because some young people who began with cigarettes, moved to vapes and then returned to smoking are treating personal experiences as evidence that cigarettes are safer.
Los Angeles resident Everest Simmons, 26, said she switched back to cigarettes after vaping and felt improvements in her breathing, energy and concentration; her TikTok about the change received 4.2 million views and more than 650,000 likes. Other young smokers told the article that cigarettes’ less convenient use may limit how often they consume nicotine, while tobacco shares have also risen over five years: Philip Morris International by more than 100% and British American Tobacco by nearly 73%. The article’s expert cautions that switching can create an “illusion of control” and excuse continued addiction; the supplied text ends before the expert’s comments are complete.
In short
- Some Gen Z users say cigarettes feel better than vaping.
- A switching video drew 4.2 million views.
- An expert warns that switching can disguise continued addiction.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Some young people who switch from vaping back to cigarettes report feeling better, and cigarettes’ less convenient use may lead them to consume nicotine less often. Their experiences can reasonably prompt questions about how different products affect individuals, though personal accounts alone cannot establish which is safer.
The case against
Feeling better after switching does not show that cigarettes are safer: symptoms may have other causes, and individual experiences cannot substitute for evidence about health risks. Treating cigarettes as a healthier or “plant-based” option could give a misleading sense of control and encourage continued nicotine dependence.