Introduction to Vaping Vaping, also known as using vaporizers or electronic cigarettes, is one of the modern inventions of this century, a time of human discoveries and advancements. Approximately five thousand years before Christ, the people of South America discovered a new plant that, after drying its leaves under the warm sun, could be burned and smoked. Over time, with the development of new tools, tobacco spread to Europe and even Asia, quickly becoming a staple in daily life worldwide.