| Is Vaping Bad?18 April 2016 It may seem like a simple question, but it’s one we’re sure most of you will have considered at some point: is vaping bad? Whilst some activities, like smoking cigarettes, undeniably have a negative effect on your health and well-being, how bad vaping is for you is something which can be explored, argued and weighed up with pros and cons. As with a lot of things, there is no definite answer - is sugar bad for you? Are extreme sports? Is going to a party? We’re not here to inspire a lengthy debate, but what we can give you is the facts. 1. Certain Studies Suggest that Vaping Can Replace Smoking A UCL survey of smokers in England reported that people were 60% more likely to succeed in stopping smoking traditional cigarettes if they used e-cigarettes, as opposed to over-the-counter nicotine replacements like patches or gum, or using willpower alone. Anything that can successfully help people cut down or stop smoking cigarettes altogether is arguably, to at least some extent, a good thing. Smoking cigarettes causes significant harm to your body, leading to numerous health risks such as lung cancer, heart disease and infertility, to name a few. Unfortunately, smoking can quickly become a habit as a result of the addictive ingredient nicotine, found in tobacco. Vaping gives users their nicotine fix to help keep the cravings at bay, but without the considerable risks to your health that inhaling burning tobacco causes. 2. Vaping produces NO tar and significantly less harmful chemicals than smoking. Vaping has not shown any evidence of being a carcinogen or genotoxic, however the long-term effects of using e-cigarettes is still largely unknown. The thick, toxic by-product tar is produced by burning tobacco but, as nothing is burnt during the process of vaping, tar is not present in vapour. Cigarette smoke also contains over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 cancer-causing carcinogenic compounds. Whilst the long-term effects of vaping are unknown, very few carcinogenic chemicals have been found in electronic cigarette vapours, which is certainly promising. 3. E-liquids DO NOT contain tobacco. Tobacco smoke damages your lungs, potentially causing a host of breathing problems, lung disease and cancer. Smoking tobacco is the primary cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK. Including second hand smoke exposure, the global yearly death toll as a result of tobacco use is 6 million. Tobacco can also stain your teeth, give bad breath, diminish taste and smell, age your skin and cause gum disease. Comparatively, vaping uses no tobacco which makes it considerably less harmful than smoking cigarettes. 4. E-liquid consists of mostly vegetable glycerine (VG), propylene glycerine (PG), nicotine and flavouring. All of these ingredients are considered harmless. VG and PG are actually used as food additives and can be found within many products on your supermarket shelves. VG is a carbohydrate usually derived from plant oils and is used in sweeteners, pet food, beauty products and soap, whilst PG is a non-toxic ingredient found in many personal care products. The flavourings can be both natural and artificial, used to create the exciting tastes which make each e-liquid unique. 5. E-liquids DO contain nicotine. Whilst vaping does not use tobacco or produce tar, e-liquid does contain nicotine. This is a highly addictive substance, however it’s not actually proven to be harmful on its own when taken in responsible amounts. It is important to note that nicotine is a toxic substance and it is possible to die from having too much nicotine in one's system, though this amount far exceeds the amount you are likely to receive if using (even the strongest) e-cigarette or vapouriser. Furthermore, unlike cigarettes, you can control the concentration of nicotine you wish to receive when vaping - there are even e-liquids available that contain no nicotine. This is useful for those wanting to combat a nicotine addiction. You may, for instance, choose to vape with a higher dose of nicotine initially, weaning yourself off as your dependency decreases. Weighing It All UpThere are a range of other benefits to argue the cause that vaping, as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, is more good than bad:
If you do decide to make the switch from smoking to vaping, be sure to check out the range of products available from our online store!
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