Is Vaping Safe?
Is Vaping Safe?
It is estimated that 55 million people across the world will be vaping in 2021, so it is important to have all the facts. We want to make the UK smoke free and endorse vaping as a safer way to move towards a healthier life. So, how bad is smoking? And how safe is vaping? In this blog, we give you the honest facts on both smoking and vaping so you can make your own informed choice.
How Safe is Vaping?
This question is quite a sticky one because although it is very difficult to answer and often avoided publicly, everybody seems to have an opinion on it. There are 3 million vapers in the UK and whilst a study conducted by the Cochrane Library determined that vaping has no noticeable short-term effects on the human body, vaping is still a relatively recent trend. This means that it has so far been impossible for health studies to monitor and judge the long-term effects of vaping. For that reason, it is technically impossible to refer to vaping as completely ‘safe’ outside of its context.
Keep Vaping Within its Context
The safety of vaping should be considered in its context: as the alternative to smoking. The latter was exceptionally popular in the UK (and worldwide) following the traumas of the First World War; it was even recommended by doctors to calm nerves until the 1960s, when medical evidence condemning smoking finally surfaced. Smoking is still popular, even though we know that one person dies every six seconds due to illnesses connected to smoking tobacco. This is why Chinese pharmacist Hon Link invented the e Cigarette; he lost his father to lung cancer (a direct result of his smoking habit) and Link himself had unsuccessfully quit smoking six times, only succeeding with the invention of his vape pen.
The link between smoking and vaping is clear: vaping was invented in order to help people to quit smoking. It was never intended to be used for long periods of time and it certainly was not invented for the use of people who had never smoked. That is why it is so important to look at vaping within its context when deciding whether it is safe.
A Different Question
Perhaps, then, we should be asking a different question, a question that scientists across the globe have answered: is vaping safer than smoking? And the answer is a definite yes. Whilst there may be unexplored repercussions associated with vaping, it is undeniable that vaping is safer than smoking. That is why scientists recommend that those looking to quit smoking move to vaping, as it will be better for their health, and recommend that those who have never smoked to steer clear of both options.
Smoking vs Vaping: The Ingredients
The World Health Organisation have declared that smoking kills around 7 million people a year, and whilst this statistic is true, there are particular elements of smoking that are chiefly responsible.
Tobacco, the leaves you smoke in a cigarette, contains around 7000 chemicals and scientists know that at least 70 of these cause cancer. Whilst it is important to note that vape juices also contain chemicals, they are considered less dangerous than those you consume whilst smoking.
Smoking vs Vaping: The Byproducts
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous by-product of burning tobacco via a cigarette, therefore, it is possible to say that the more tobacco you smoke and the more carbon monoxide you inhale, the more likely it is that you will develop a cancer of some kind. However, many vapes do not contain any tobacco, immediately removing these chemicals from your daily consumption and vaping devices do not produce any carbon monoxide, significantly reducing the risk of cancer. It is important to add that, like smoking, it is recommended that you do not vape in the presence of other people in order to keep second-hand exposure to a minimum.
What About Tobacco-Based Vapes?
At Blackstone Labs do stock tobacco-based vapes, this is purely to ease the transition from smoking to vaping. We do not recommend that customers rely heavily on tobacco-based e Liquids for extended periods of time, but this is normally not a problem. In fact, we stock a wide range of exciting flavours as research has revealed that fruitier, more unfamiliar flavours may help customers to disassociate themselves from tobacco and smoking.
Smoking vs Vaping: Nicotine
One prominent myth about vaping is that people worry that they will not be getting the powerful nicotine hit that a cigarette would give them. When you inhale cigarette smoke, it travels into your lungs and down to your alveoli, little air sacs that allow you to breathe. Because the alveoli are so close to your blood vessels, this allows the nicotine to be absorbed quickly into your bloodstream and transported around the body.
This is exactly the same with vaping but whilst you may struggle to quantify the amount of nicotine in a cigarette, risking nicotine poisoning, you can be more accurate with vaping e Liquids. This is because every vape juice is available in a variety of different nicotine strengths, ranging from 3mg to 18mg, depending on the liquid. This allows a vaper to tailor the amount of nicotine they consume and positively control their hit, even more so than a smoker.
The Connection between Cigarettes and Vape Pens
Smoking a cigarette goes far beyond just inhaling the smoke; it is an addictive habit and can be a way of life. This was proved in a recent study conducted by Queen Mary University of London: 800 subjects wanted to quit smoking and were instructed to do so by one of two ways: by transitioning to vaping or by attending nicotine replacement therapy. The subjects were assigned to a route randomly and their progress was monitored. The results showed that 9% of participants who went to nicotine replacement therapy quit smoking compared to the 18% of subjects who quit smoking via vaping. The study concluded that transitioning to vaping in order to quit smoking is twice as effective as attempting to quit via nicotine replacement therapy.
The Science of Vape Pens
Scientists believe that vaping was more effective due to the ritualised nature of smoking; people are not reliant solely on the nicotine, but also the movements associated with, and the feel of, cigarettes. This is why vape pens are designed the way they are; the cylindrical shape replicates the shape of a cigarette and the movement of the hands to lips is incredibly similar to the actions required to smoke. This may explain why the UK has seen 1,600-50,000 people quit smoking, due to vaping alone.
Smoking vs Vaping: Debunking the Myths
It is always crucial to do your research with anything vaping or smoking-related, particularly when it comes to misleading news. There have been numerous reports of vape kits exploding across the world and whilst this can happen, it is an incredibly rare occurrence. It is also important to note that it is not the device itself that is responsible, but the battery, the same type of battery that is in our mobile phones, laptops and numerous other household devices.
In order to prevent explosions or any similar accidents, it is not advisable to tamper with or attempt to modify a device if you are not qualified. In order to stay safe, we recommend regularly checking the condition of your batteries, always using the correct charger and to never overcharge your device or walk around with loose vaping device batteries in your pocket. We would also recommend purchasing your vapes from a reputable seller; all vapes sold at Blackstone Labs are of the highest quality and are sourced from the best vaping companies in the world, so you can be sure you are getting a fantastic, safe vape every time.
Public Health England have stated that vaping is 95% safer than smoking cigarettes, which is exactly how vaping should be viewed, as a safer alternative to smoking.
The current advice is that if you are a smoker looking to quit, vaping is a viable option that is better for your health, however, if you are a non-smoker, you should not start vaping. It is vital to stress that vaping should not be a long-term habit, but rather a helpful steppingstone on your journey to leading to a nicotine-free life.
