does vaping break a fast
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Does Vaping Break a Fast?
For religious fasting, the common view is yes, by day; for intermittent fasting the calories are negligible. Both explained, with where to check.
Does vaping break a fast? It depends on the kind of fast you mean. For religious fasting, such as during Ramadan, the widely held view among scholars is that vaping breaks the fast during fasting hours, much like smoking, because it involves deliberately inhaling something. For health related fasting, like intermittent fasting, the calorie content of vaping is negligible. This guide covers both, and pairs with our guide on vaping during Ramadan.
Quick answer
For religious fasting such as Ramadan, the common view is that vaping breaks the fast during fasting hours, like smoking, so consult your religious authority. For intermittent or health fasting, the calorie content of vaping is negligible, though check any specific guidance you are following.
Religious fasting
For fasts observed for religious reasons, the mainstream scholarly view treats vaping like smoking, as something that breaks the fast during fasting hours, because it involves deliberately drawing vapour, which contains substances, into the body. So during daylight hours in Ramadan, for example, vaping would generally be considered to break the fast, while it may be used after the fast is broken.
Vaping and different fasts
| Type of fast | General position |
|---|---|
| Religious fast (e.g. Ramadan) | Commonly considered to break the fast by day |
| Intermittent fasting | Calorie content of vaping is negligible |
| Medical fasting before a procedure | Follow your care teams instructions |
| For a religious ruling | Consult your imam or religious authority |
Intermittent and health fasting
For intermittent fasting, which is about when and how much you eat rather than religious observance, the relevant question is calories, and the calorie content of vaping is negligible because you inhale vapour rather than ingest the liquid. So in pure calorie terms, vaping is very unlikely to break an intermittent fast, though if you are following a specific programme, it is worth checking its own guidance.
For a religious fast, the common view is that vaping breaks it during the day, like smoking. For intermittent fasting, the calories are negligible. The two are quite different questions.
Medical fasting
If you are fasting before a medical procedure or surgery, this is different again, and your care team''s instructions are what matter. Vaping may count under pre procedure fasting rules, so do not assume it is exempt, and follow exactly what you are told. Our guide on vaping before surgery covers this in more detail.
Myths and facts
| Myth | The reality |
|---|---|
| Vaping never breaks any fast | For religious fasting, the common view is that it does, by day. |
| Vapour is exempt because it is not food | For religious fasting the issue is deliberate intake, not whether it is food. |
| Vaping always breaks intermittent fasting | In calorie terms it is negligible, so usually not, but check your programme. |
| Medical fasting rules do not cover vaping | They may; follow your care teams instructions. |
Frequently asked questions
Does vaping break a fast?
For religious fasting it commonly does, during fasting hours, like smoking. For intermittent fasting, the calories are negligible. Medical fasting follows your care team.
Why does it break a religious fast?
Because it involves deliberately inhaling substances, which the common view treats like smoking.
Does vaping break intermittent fasting?
In calorie terms it is negligible, so usually not, but check the specific programme you are following.
What about fasting before surgery?
Vaping may count under pre procedure fasting rules, so follow your care teams instructions exactly.
Where do I get a definitive religious ruling?
From your imam or a trusted religious authority, who can advise for your situation.
The bottom line
Whether vaping breaks a fast depends on the fast. For religious fasting such as Ramadan, the common view is that it breaks the fast during fasting hours, like smoking, so consult your religious authority. For intermittent fasting, the calorie content is negligible, so it usually does not, though check your programme. For medical fasting, follow your care teams instructions, as vaping may count.
More help and related reading
If this guide raised other questions, the Help and Guidance library has plain English answers to many more. The closely related pages below are worth a look, and you can always return to the main hub to browse every topic we cover. For anything personal or about your own health, a GP or pharmacist can advise, and a free local stop smoking service can help if you want to reduce or stop using nicotine.
- Can you vape during Ramadan?
- Do vapes have calories?
- Can you vape before surgery?
- Browse the full Help and Guidance library
Keeping the types of fast separate
A lot of confusion comes from treating all fasts as the same. A religious fast is about abstaining from intake during set hours, so deliberate inhalation like vaping is commonly judged to break it. Intermittent fasting is about energy intake, where vapings negligible calories are the relevant point. And medical fasting before a procedure is about safety for your treatment, set by your care team.
Holding these apart makes the answer clear in each case, and points you to the right source, your religious authority for a ruling, your fasting programme for its own rules, or your care team for a medical fast.
Three kinds of fast
| Fast | Key question | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Religious | Deliberate intake by day | Your religious authority |
| Intermittent | Calorie intake | Your programme |
| Medical | Safety for the procedure | Your care team |
| All | Is vaping intake? | Depends on the fast |
A few more questions
Do nicotine pouches break a fast?
For religious fasting many scholars take a similar view to vaping; for intermittent fasting the calories are negligible. Check the relevant authority.
Is water vapour really intake?
For religious fasting, the common view focuses on deliberately drawing substances in, which is why vaping is treated like smoking.
Could vaping help me through a fast?
Relying on nicotine is not advisable, and for a religious fast it would commonly break it; consider it a chance to cut down instead.
Key things to remember
- Religious fast: commonly broken by vaping during the day
- Intermittent fast: calories negligible
- Medical fast: follow your care team
- Different fasts, different answers
- Consult the relevant authority
Putting it simply
The neat way to hold it is that the answer depends on the fast. A religious fast is commonly broken by vaping during fasting hours, an intermittent fast is about calories which are negligible, and a medical fast follows your care team.
So rather than one answer, match the question to the kind of fast, and check with the right source, your religious authority, your programme, or your care team.
Is vaping treated the same as eating for a religious fast?
The common view focuses on deliberate intake, which is why vaping is treated like smoking; your religious authority can give a ruling.
Do and don’t
Do
- Match the question to the kind of fast
- Consult your religious authority for a ruling
- Follow your programme for intermittent fasting
- Follow your care team for a medical fast
Try not to
- Assume one answer covers all fasts
- Treat this page as a religious ruling
- Assume vaping is exempt from medical fasting rules
A couple more questions
What if I vape by accident during a religious fast?
Questions of intention and accidental use are exactly the kind to put to your religious authority, who can advise.
Does black coffee or water break these fasts?
That depends on the fast and is outside vaping, but the same principle applies, match the question to the type of fast and its rules.
A quick word on safety and the law
Vaping products are intended for adult smokers and existing vapers as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes. They contain nicotine unless stated otherwise, which is addictive, and they are not suitable for non smokers, pregnant women or anyone under 18. By law you must be 18 or over to buy vaping products in the UK, and we age verify every order. If you want to stop using nicotine altogether, your local stop smoking service offers free, tailored support.
UK public health bodies advise that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, but it is not risk free, and if you do not smoke the advice is not to start.
This guide offers general information and is not a religious ruling. Views can differ between scholars, so for definitive guidance please consult your own imam or trusted religious authority.
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Browse our full library of plain English vaping guides, or get in touch with the team if you have a question we have not answered yet.