puffing

Puffing is the act of taking a puff—an inhalation of air, smoke, or vapor followed by exhalation. It is most commonly used to describe drawing on tobacco or nicotine products such as cigarettes, pipes, cigars, or electronic cigarettes, but it can also refer to bursts of emissions from industrial or natural sources.

Smoking-related puffing patterns, or puff topography, vary by product and individual and influence nicotine delivery and exposure to tar and other chemicals. Health research investigates how puffing behavior affects dependence, cessation, and risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Non-smokers can be exposed to secondhand smoke or aerosol in shared environments.

In advertising and law, puffing denotes promotional statements that are subjective or exaggerated and not meant to be taken as factual claims. Such statements are generally distinguished from misrepresentation and are treated differently depending on jurisdiction.

In environmental science and industry, puffing describes bursts of emissions, or "puffs," from sources such as smokestacks. Puff modeling treats each emission as a discrete event to analyze dispersion and impact on air quality.