Vaping gets a lot of bad press. Although we occasionally hear positive reports about the health benefits ofelectronic cigarettesthey are generally overwhelmed by reporting on hypothetical risks and exaggerated dangers. Finding facts about vaping is not easy.
Recently,15 former presidents of the Society for Research in Nicotine and Tobacco(SRNT) co-authored an article inAmerican Journal of Public Healthargues that vaping's potential positive impact on public health is being ignored or distorted by powerful interests and lobby groups.
Even top scientists and researchers in relevant fields are ignored if their research does not fit the popular message (that vaping is as bad as smoking, if not worse). It really makes things confusing!
This article can bring some clarity and simplicity to the topic, with a healthy dose of real benefits. So what are the real pros and cons of vaping? Let's get started.
1. It's Safer Than Smoking:Britain's Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England and the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine all agree that vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes. says PHEvaping is “at least 95% less harmful.”Because there is no combustion when vaping, there is no smoke, and smoke provides the tar and carbon monoxide that lead to most of the long-term health damage from smoking. The health benefits of being smoke-free include improved lung and heart function and an even better sense of smell and taste.
2. No harmful odors:One of the biggest benefits of vaping is that you and your clothes, your house and your car no longer smell like smoke. Vaping has an aroma, but it is far from the smell of old smoke and cigarette butts. In fact, even tobacco-flavored vapes don't smell like burning tobacco at all. For many people, the smell of steam is barely noticeable. You might even get compliments!
3. Control nicotine intake:Vaping gives you complete control over your nicotine dose. E-juice doesavailable in different strengths, ranging from nicotine-free to high-strength nicotine. You can choose exactly how much nicotine is in your vapor - or use itno nicotine at all. Most vapers tend to start with a high nicotine strength and gradually work their way down to a lower strength, or even eliminate nicotine altogether.
4. Control over vapor output:Vaping gives you control over the amount of vapor you exhale, which is a big part of the experience. Some vapers prefer smaller devices like pod vapes for convenience and low vapor volume, and others like themhigh performance modsUnpleasantcloud chase. By adjusting the power, airflow and coil type you can further fine-tune your vapor volume, which also affects the taste. You can besubtle and covert, or as flashy as you want, depending on how you want to vape.
5. Flavors for every taste:There are almost endless flavor options to choose frome-sap. Some of the most popular flavor categories include fruit, desserts, beverages, mint and menthol, and tobacco. And if you're not happy with what's commercially available, that's okay toomake your own vape juice!
6. Instant gratification:While advanced vapes require initial manipulation, there are plenty of simpler products that come pre-packaged and ready to use. Either way, once the steam is ready, taking a puff is as easy as pressing a button or drawing on the device (some have an automatic puff). While all vape devices require a charged battery and e-liquid to keep working, the average vaporizer can last all day without maintenance.
7. Price Points for Every Wallet:The vaping market is large and competitive. There are plenty of products in all price ranges – from $10 to hundreds – that suit just about any user. Whether you want a simple disposable e-cigarette, or an advanced vape mod andpremium e-liquid, there's a vape you can use today.
8. No experience necessary:Of course, you can make collecting vape equipment a hobby, or learn ithow to build your own coils, but you can also get a great vaping experience as a beginner. Between beginner sets and simple setspod-dampenThere are plenty of high-quality vaping products that require no prior experience.
9. Access and Availability:Today, you can find great vaping products at vape shops, convenience stores, gas stations, and even smoke shops. There is alsoonline dampwinkelsthat ships vaping products straight to your front door.
1. Too Many Choices:For a new vaper or a smoker considering a change, the endless options offered by the vaping market can be overwhelming. With cigarettes you pick a brand and light up, but with vaping there are literally millions of possible choices. Therefore, it is best to point vape-curious people to easy-to-use productssimple instructions to get you started, and then to good sources of additional information (vape shops, forums, experienced vapers) as new vapers learn the ropes.
2. The vape learning curve:Perhaps the biggest danger for a new vaper is purchasing a product that requires specialized knowledge. They often become confused, frustrated and regret their attempt to switch to vaping. Again, no long learning curve required! Simple starter products are almost always the best first choice.
3. Potential Health Risks:It's true that vaping is too new to understand the potential risks it can bring. But if you're using vaping to avoid cigarettes, you can feel relieved to know you've moved away from the well-documented dangers of smoking. The substances in cigarette smoke that make cigarette smoke particularly harmful are either completely absent from e-cigarette vapor or present only in small amounts. This makes it much safer for vapers, and also for bystanders exposed to “used steam."
4. Vapers face the stigma of smoking:For almost sixty years, tobacco control has focused on the "denormalization" of smoking, which is just a fancy word for stigmatizing smoking and smokers. Now the same belligerent campaign to dehumanize people who smoke is being turned against vapers. Because vaping looks like smoking to people who don't, smokers who switch to safer vaping products are often discouraged to find themselves facing the same stigma rooted in ignorance, fear and intolerance.
5. Vaping is seen as a youth problem:Because of the endless news about a "teen vaping epidemic”, older smokers can avoid vaping as a way to quit smoking. It's a fact that adults of all ages vape – andthe legal age to purchase vapes is 21— but for those who are turning to e-cigarettes now, soon after the “JUUL panic” era, it may not be easy to separate the harm-reduction benefits of vaping from teen fads.
6. Misinformation about nicotine:Nicotine is probably as misunderstood as any drug in the world. It's basically just a mild stimulant that has similar effects to caffeine. But because its history is inextricably linked to smoking – a very dangerous delivery mechanism – nicotine has a terrible reputation. Nicotine does not cause cancer or heart disease, but many people confuse the effects of nicotine with smoking.including physicians who regularly treat lifelong smokers. Nicotine can indeed do thatoffer health benefits to many users.
7. Restrictive laws and regulations:Based primarily on the vaping epidemic promoted by anti-vaping organizations, vaping has become a ripe target for legislation and regulations that reduce the choice, availability, and cost of vaping. More than half of the US states have thistaxes on vaping productsand Congress recently passed a lawbans the US Postal Service from delivering vaping products. Some states have banned vape products in flavors other than tobacco.
8. FDA Regulations Could Eliminate Vaping Choice:The government's biggest threat to vaping may be the Food and Drug AdministrationPremarket Tobacco Application (PMTA)-proces. Manufacturers who wanted to keep their products on the market had to submit complex applications last fall to prove that the products are 'suitable for the protection of public health'. Experts believe that the FDA will use the PMTA process to remove many of the top vaping products from the market. (Cigarettes, by the way, came onto the market without having to file PMTAs.)
9. Finding the truth about vaping isn't easy:Vaping is a disruptive technology that threatens the tobacco industry, but also the powerful anti-smoking industry. For a smoker or new vaper, it can be very difficult to do thisseparate the lies from the truth about vaping, while these powerful enemies promote their stories in all kinds of news media and even through allied federal agencies. Because there are plenty of scary stories about vaping. It's easy to get scared.
Now you should have a better understanding of the pros and cons of vaping. There are a number of points on both sides. But if you consider vaping as an alternative to smoking, it should be clear that it is the better choice of the two. While vaping isn't the only way to combat cigarette addiction, all other choices have pros and cons as well.
Vaping is successful because it provides nicotine and a smoking experience, but without the combustion products that make smoking deadly. But vaping isn't perfect, and it isn't the answer for everyone. Whatever you decide, do it with a clear understanding of the pros and cons of vaping.
