A valid, if slightly difficult question to answer. Vapour cigarettes and vaping have come up time and again in the news, with different studies seemingly contradicting each other every time, so it’s perfectly fair to want to know what the health risks of vaping are.
What Kind of E-Cigarettes?
As with just about anything, the danger of something depends on what you have in it. Arguably, the most dangerous substance in vapour cigarettes and e-cigarettes is nicotine, which is proven to be highly addictive and dangerous (if consumed in a reckless manner – the amounts present when vaping are unlikely to cause serious illness).
But not all e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Many e-liquids are available with no nicotine content at all, which eliminates the risk of addiction it poses. So the amount of danger posed by e-cigarettes varies hugely.
Additionally, some e-cigarettes have higher voltages than others, which causes nicotine to be burned through faster and lead to stronger addiction.
Compared to Cigarettes?
When compared to conventional cigarettes, the medical and scientific consensus seems to be that e-cigarettes and vaping is less harmful. In fact, a report published by Public Health England last year stated that e-cigarettes are “95% less harmful than smoking.”
This is because as well as containing nicotine, cigarettes contain and produce a cocktail of dangerous chemicals like tar, carbon monoxide and even formaldehyde and DDT. E-cigarettes, on the other hand, do not.
Overall, vaping seems to be much less harmful than smoking.
What about Second-Hand Vaping?
The risks of second-hand vaping are much lower than that of second-hand smoke. The same PHE report said that e-cigarette vapour contains a negligible amount of nicotine and pose no health risks to bystanders.
Despite this, and despite the lack of legislation against indoor vaping, many establishments such as pubs, restaurants, buses, trains and more have their own rules against vaping.
Long Term Effects?
This is the big question mark with vaping, simply because e-cigarettes just haven’t been around long enough for us to be able to see the long term effects.
Who Should Take Up Vaping?
E-cigarettes should only be used by current smokers as an alternative. While they are less harmful than conventional smoking, they still pose a health risk and are a potentially dangerous habit even when using e-liquids with no nicotine content.
Additionally, vaping should be avoided by pregnant women due to the potential health risks the nicotine can cause to the unborn child.
Basically, any condition where you shouldn’t smoke also applies to vaping.
If you’re looking to make the switch from smoking to vaping, head on over to Vape Mountain and check out our huge selection of e-cigarettes and accessories.