I am vaping instead of smoking as well, feel much better. I do believe it's a much better alternative to smoking. That said, the best thing would be quitting altogether. I am not saying it's completely safe, probably there might be effects, but no real long term studies exist yet according to my knowledge. If you have quality gear and buy juice from reputable sources, you can minimize the kinds of risks the media is pushing.

Oh, and the vape does not damage things, neither does it leave a bad odor. The only thing I noticed was a little bit of grease on my windshield after months of use (where the AC is blowing I think)