Is It Wrong to Drink, Smoke or Vape?

The short answer: The Bible never mentions vaping or cigarettes, but it gives clear principles: obey the law, look after the body God gave you, and don’t let anything master you. On alcohol, Christians differ: some drink moderately as adults, others choose not to drink at all. All agree that drunkenness is wrong.

Maybe vapes get passed around at break time. Maybe there’s alcohol at parties and you’re wondering what the big deal is. Maybe adults in your family drink, smoke or vape. The Bible doesn’t have a verse that says “Thou shalt not vape,” but that doesn’t mean it has nothing to say.

Start with the law

For most teenagers, the first answer is simple. In most countries, buying or using alcohol, cigarettes or vapes is illegal at your age. The Bible says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). Christians are to obey the law unless it commands us to sin, and age limits on drinking or smoking don’t. And if your parents say no, that settles it too: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1).

Your body matters

Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). In context he’s talking about sex, but the principle reaches further. Your body isn’t something to trash. It’s on loan from God, and He lives in it.

We know smoking damages lungs and hearts. Nicotine, whether from a cigarette or a sweet-smelling vape, is highly addictive, and young brains get hooked faster than older ones. Alcohol affects a developing brain, impairs judgement and is involved in a lot of the worst things that happen at parties.

Who’s in charge?

Here’s a verse many people miss: “‘Everything is permissible for me,’ but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me,’ but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Paul’s question isn’t only “Is this allowed?” but “Will this end up controlling me?”

That’s exactly how addiction works. Nobody plans to need a vape every hour. It starts as “just trying it.” Christian freedom is real, but “do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh” (Galatians 5:13). Freedom that ends in slavery isn’t freedom. The same goes for drugs, which are both illegal and dangerous.

Where Christians differ: alcohol

When it comes to adults and alcohol, faithful Christians hold two main views.

Moderation. Many Christians believe adults may drink alcohol in moderation. They point out that Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding, that wine was part of the Last Supper, and that the Psalms thank God for “wine that gladdens the heart of man” (Psalm 104:15).

Abstinence. Many other Christians choose not to drink at all. Some do it because they’ve seen the damage alcohol does to families. Some do it for the sake of others: “It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble” (Romans 14:21). Whole movements of Christians have chosen this path.

Both views agree on what matters most: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Drunkenness is wrong, and Christians shouldn’t look down on each other over this choice.

If you’re already hooked

If you’re vaping or smoking and finding it hard to stop, you’re not a bad Christian. You’re someone who needs help, and that’s fine. Tell a parent or trusted adult, and see a doctor, who can help you quit. And if you’re ever pressured to drink or use something, you can always say no, leave, or call someone to collect you.

Think about it: Is there anything in your life, good or bad, that’s starting to feel as if it’s in charge of you instead of the other way round?

Go deeper: Holy in Christ by Andrew Murray — in this chapter Murray takes Paul’s words that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and shows that holiness reaches the body too, urging readers to hand their bodies, with all their needs and appetites, into Christ’s keeping. Start with chapter 24, “Holiness and the Body”.