Smoking, Vaping and Increased Risk of COPD Health experts warn of vaping dangers and link to COPD The safest vape is the one you never start. Flavoured vapes were designed to feel harmless: Candy taste. Fruit smell. Cool packaging. Viral aesthetics. But your lungs don't care about the flavour. E cigarette vaping with nicotine appears to hamper mucus clearance from the airways, according to a study.