Who Invented Vapes

The vape, as we know it today, is the result of both innovation and necessity. While the idea of inhaling vapour dates back decades, the invention of the modern electronic cigarette is credited to a Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik. His creation changed the landscape of nicotine use, offering a smoke-free alternative to traditional cigarettes and sparking the global growth of the vaping industry. Understanding who invented vapes, and why, offers insight into how the technology emerged, how it’s evolved, and why it continues to shape the way people quit smoking around the world.

The Origins of the Vape Concept

The earliest concept of a device that delivers nicotine without combustion can be traced back to the 1960s. Herbert A. Gilbert, an American inventor, created a design for a smokeless, non-tobacco cigarette that would heat flavoured air to produce vapour. While his design was ahead of its time, it was never commercialised. The world was still deep in its smoking era, and there was no public push or regulatory pressure to consider alternatives. As a result, Gilbert’s invention faded into obscurity, but it laid the groundwork for future developments.

Hon Lik and the First Commercial Vape

In the early 2000s, Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist and heavy smoker, set out to create a cleaner way to consume nicotine after his father died from smoking-related illness. Drawing from his knowledge of chemistry and medicine, Hon Lik developed a device that used a piezoelectric element to vaporise a nicotine solution into a fine mist. This device, patented in 2003, was the first practical electronic cigarette. It was manufactured by a Chinese company and introduced to the domestic market before eventually gaining attention worldwide.

Global Expansion and Innovation

Once Hon Lik’s invention gained traction, it was only a matter of time before vaping technology spread. Early devices were relatively basic and closely resembled traditional cigarettes, known as “cigalikes.” As demand increased, manufacturers began producing more advanced devices with better battery life, refillable tanks, and adjustable settings. This shift opened the door for a wider range of products, from pod systems to sub-ohm mods, each offering a unique experience based on user preference. What began as a smoking alternative soon became a category of its own, driven by demand for choice, flavour, and flexibility.

The Role of Vaping in Smoking Cessation

The invention of the vape was not just a technological leap, it was a response to a global health problem. Cigarette smoking had long been a leading cause of preventable illness and death. With Hon Lik’s invention, smokers had a new option, one that delivered nicotine without burning tobacco. Public health agencies in the UK and elsewhere have since supported vaping as a harm reduction tool, recognising its role in helping people reduce or quit smoking altogether. While debates around regulation and youth use continue, the original intent of the vape was to offer a cleaner, safer way to satisfy nicotine dependence.

Continued Development and Regulation

Since the first modern vape was introduced, the industry has evolved rapidly. Devices are now more efficient, more reliable, and subject to stricter regulations, especially in the UK and Europe. Manufacturers must meet safety standards, ingredients must be disclosed, and devices must be tested. These changes have helped shape vaping into a safer, more transparent option for adult users. Despite its relatively short history, vaping has become one of the most significant public shifts in how nicotine is consumed.

Early Invention That Was Ignored

While Hon Lik is credited with inventing the first modern vape, the earliest version of a smokeless cigarette was actually proposed in 1963 by Herbert A. Gilbert. His design looked very different to today’s devices, but the concept was remarkably close, a battery-powered device that heated a flavoured, nicotine-free solution to produce inhalable vapour. Gilbert even received a patent for his invention in 1965. However, his product never reached the market. The tobacco industry at the time was dominant, and there was little interest in replacing cigarettes. As a result, his design faded into history, only later being recognised as the blueprint for what would come decades later.

Hon Lik’s Personal Motivation

Hon Lik’s motivation for creating the modern vape was deeply personal. A heavy smoker himself, he watched his father die from lung cancer, a loss that prompted him to explore safer alternatives to smoking. At the time, nicotine patches and gum were already available, but many smokers found them unsatisfying. Hon Lik believed that inhalation was a key part of the smoking experience, and removing it entirely made quitting harder. His goal was to replicate the sensation of smoking the hand-to-mouth action, the throat hit, and the exhale but without the smoke, ash, and tar. His invention was designed not just to reduce harm, but to offer something that felt familiar.

The First Commercial Launch

After developing his first prototype, Hon Lik’s product was brought to market by a Chinese company called Ruyan, meaning “like smoke.” It debuted in 2004 in China and quickly gained attention in other parts of the world. The device used ultrasonic vibrations to vaporise a nicotine solution, a method that was eventually replaced by the coil-based heating system now found in modern devices. As popularity grew, other companies began improving on the design, leading to a wide range of products tailored to different types of users. What started as a small innovation soon became a global industry.

The Shift from Medical Tool to Lifestyle Product

Hon Lik’s original vision was to create a medical alternative to smoking, but over time, vaping evolved beyond its original intent. As devices became more customisable and flavours more diverse, vaping gained appeal not just as a quitting tool, but as a lifestyle choice. Manufacturers expanded their focus to include appearance, usability, and experience. What began as a harm reduction solution turned into a broad consumer category, bringing with it a mix of support, criticism, and regulation.

Ongoing Influence and Legacy

Hon Lik is still recognised within the vaping community as the father of modern e-cigarettes, though his role is often forgotten by the wider public. His invention laid the groundwork for harm reduction strategies now backed by public health agencies in the UK and elsewhere. While there are ongoing debates around youth vaping and long-term health impacts, the core legacy of his invention remains focused on reducing the damage caused by traditional smoking. For millions of former smokers, vaping represents a meaningful shift towards a cleaner, more controlled form of nicotine use  something that would not have been possible without Hon Lik’s contribution.

Summary

The vape as we know it today was invented by Hon Lik in the early 2000s, but the foundation for it was laid decades earlier by Herbert Gilbert. Motivated by personal loss and public health concerns, Hon Lik created a device that offered smokers a new path, one that removed combustion but preserved the sensory rituals of smoking. His invention evolved rapidly, shaped the global nicotine market, and continues to influence how people reduce or eliminate tobacco use today. Though the industry has grown far beyond his original design, the intent behind it remains central: to provide a cleaner, safer way to inhale.