Is Vaping Really Safer Than Smoking Cigarettes?
August 16, 2018 7:37 pm Leave your thoughtsAs vaping has become tremendously popular in recent years, many proponents have said they have made the switch to vaping from cigarettes because it is much safer. But is vaping really safer than cigarettes?
This is something that’s still being analyzed by public health experts and tobacco researchers across the country. So far, the evidence seems to suggest that while vaping is not harmless, it is certainly safer than smoking, which is one of the reasons why you can go into any smoke shop in Scottsdale, AZ and see a massive variety of vaping supplies—as well as a number of enthusiastic fellow customers!
Here’s what you should know about vaping and what the medical community is saying about it.
Basics of vaping
First and foremost, if you’re unfamiliar with vaping, you should have an understanding of what it actually is.
Vaping is a hobby that uses e-cigarettes, which are battery-operated devices that can look like a real cigarettes or pens. Many will have refillable tanks, while others are one-time use devices. There is a near-limitless number of brands currently selling these e-cigarettes and their e-liquid that creates the vapor.
This e-liquid, like cigarettes, contains nicotine, but without some of the other dangers associated with smoking (more on that shortly). The liquids also have various flavorings, similar to hookah, which have made them popular among hobbyists as people continue to seek out new, exciting flavors.
Safety of vaping
Most e-liquids contain nicotine, which is an additive chemical prominent in cigarettes and cigars. People who quit using nicotine often go into withdrawal, which has symptoms such as crabbiness, depression and some other physical manifestations that can be problematic. Nicotine can, over time, hurt the developing brains of children and young adults and harm unborn babies.
There are other chemicals found in e-liquid that can have harmful side effects, including formaldehyde (which can cause cancer), diacetyl (a chemical used to make synthetic flavors that can be dangerous when inhaled) and more.
This means that e-cigarettes are not completely safe for use. However, most experts believe them to be significantly safer than cigarettes.
Smoking currently results in about 500,000 deaths per year in the U.S. from lung cancer and other similar conditions. Most of the harm comes from the chemicals that get burned and then inhaled through the smoke. Because there’s no burning involved with e-cigarettes, people will not get the same exposure to those harmful toxins. In fact, one study from England suggested e-cigarettes are up to 95 percent less harmful than actual cigarettes.
There are also studies underway about whether vaping can help a person quit smoking cigarettes, as a means of getting nicotine while avoiding some of the other harmful aspects of using those traditional cigarettes.
There is still plenty of research in progress about the safety of vaping, especially in comparison to cigarettes, but it’s safe to say that the dangers of smoking far exceed those of vaping. For more information, contact our smoke shop in Scottsdale, AZ and we’ll answer your questions.
Categorised in: Smoke Shop, Vape Shop
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