When Were Vapes Invented? History of E Cigarettes OK Vape Hon Lik invented the e cigarette to quit smoking but now he's a dual user Vaping The Guardian BBC Audio Witness History The first commercially successful electronic cigarette Vaping: How E cigs Work (Infographic) Live Science The first smoker to try a nicotine vape ("e cigarette") was Hon Lik. He invented it to help himself quit smoking. He has vaped for 20 years, and is now 70 years old. Who invented vaping and when did the first vape come out?