The health risks of e-cigarettes are a controversial topic; there are no straight answers. Vaping has been around since 1960, but only taken off in the last decade. When it comes to health, the answers are difficult because people just don’t know them! E-cigs haven’t been around long enough to study the effects of long-term vaping.
Generally, vaping is considered to be a far healthier alternative to smoking, especially given the choice of whether to include nicotine in the e-juice or not. At the end of the day, inhaling anything other than pure air is going to have a detrimental impact on your body.
Is it Cancerous?
If only there was a straight answer. If only we could say yes or no for definite. Unfortunately, we can’t. No one really knows.
Some sources imply there would be a dramatic decline in deaths caused by smoking related diseases each year if every smoker switched to vaping. Although this should be taken with a pinch of salt (there’s no proof!), any reduction in smoking fatalities is positive.
Cancer Warnings
Some are saying yes. We-ell, they are saying it has the potential to be cancerous. This was due to a study they carried out on human cells and how they broke up and died when exposed to vapour compared to untouched cells. They are claiming it can lead to cancer though – not that it does, but that it might. Again, this goes back to inhaling chemicals into the body; it’s going to have an adverse affect one way or another.
The different e-juices mean it is possible to obtain a flavour without nicotine in it. Although scientists are claiming other toxins can cause the cancerous cells to develop, the lack of nicotine will dramatically reduce the risk. Facts cannot be denied, but as of yet, there is no proof e-cigs are cancerous.
Safety First
For most, e-cigarettes are considered to be a healthy alternative to smoking. If there was a strong risk of cancer, the NHS would not be petitioning to be able to prescribe them as an aid for quitting smoking. That is a whole different story, but if a medical organisation that large is prepared to practically hand them out, then substantial evidence must point to vaping being safe – at least, safer than smoking.
There also hasn’t been an identified risk of second-hand smoke when vaping, lowering the risk for bystanders developing cancer.
Swings and Roundabouts
There hasn’t been enough of a study into the impact of e-cigs on our health. There can be no denying that inhaling the vapour is not going to be as good for you as doing nothing. But if the comparison is between vaping and smoking, evidence strongly indicates that vaping is the better for you, a fact backed up by the NHS wanting to prescribe them to aid smokers with quitting.
If you are worried about the risk of cancer or other health issues caused by either vaping or smoking, consult a medical professional for more advice.
Take a look around Vape Mountain for nicotine-free e-juices and other vaping products.