Smoking vs Vaping?

[hyp]

I'm kinda confused here. Why is chasing the dragon "smoking" heroin? Isn't it vaporizing heroin since the flame isn't in direct contact with the substance? Like if it were in a lightbulb vape...wouldn't it be vaporizing heroin?

I just don't understand why on heroin helper, which seems like a pretty legit and factually correct site, refers to it as "smoking". Can someone help me out here? I'm not getting something...

 

[oxymoron310]

You're correct, its vaporizing the heroin, not smoking it. I guess its just one of those things that catches on... Like street names, no one knows where they came from. Its just what people say, and are accustomed to hearing.
EDIT: + I don't think any one really cares that much about the specific meaning of the words either.

 

[Shambles]

^ That. Chasing = vaping not smoking. Smoking is a more common word so the one most folks use, I suppose.

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

Smoking is just another another way of saying one is inhaling a vapor.

One can smoke methamphetamine as well. (Just to put things in perspective.)