10 Ways Vaping Has Proven To Be Better Than Smoking

First of all, What is Vaping?

Vaping is essentially the act of inhaling water vapour into your lungs. As you will read below, this is definitely a safer and healthier form of smoking because it doesn’t contain any of the tar, fumes, and chemical toxins that are found in tobacco cigarette smoke that’s so detrimental to the body.

 

1) Considerably fewer chemicals than smoking tobacco

Electronic cigarettes aren’t packed full of dangerous chemicals like the traditional tobacco cigarette. There are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes. When burned, they create more than 7,000 chemicals. At least 69 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, and many are poisonous.

The World Health Organization estimates that the global yearly death toll as a result of tobacco use is currently 6 million. It is predicted that by the end of the 21st century, tobacco will have killed one billion people! 

Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the UK. About half of all lifelong smokers will die prematurely. Most smoking-related deaths are from one of three types of disease: lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary heart disease. In 2013, 17 per cent of all deaths of adults aged 35 and over in England were estimated to be attributable to smoking tobacco.

The four most common ingredients that you’ll find in e liquid/e juice are Vegetable Glycerin (VG), Propylene Glycol (PG), Nicotine and flavouring. Some E-Liquid manufactures also add distilled water to thin some mixtures down. 

PG - Propylene Glycol

PG is a clear liquid without a noticeable smell, it is the part of the juice that usually carries the flavour.

It is declared safe by the FDA as a preservative in various food, healthcare and beauty products. The UK medical regulation declares PG safe to use in inhalers, nicotine replacement therapies and other medical health products that are swallowed, injected or spread on the skin.

Medical research has confirmed that it does not have any effect on heart cells or the action of the arteries.

VG - Vegetable Glycerine

VG is made from plants and has a slightly sweet smell/taste. Although PG also produces vapour, it is the VG that produces most of the vapour produced by vaping.

VG is used in a range of products approved to medical and food standards including cough medicines, suppositories, soaps, shampoos and  low-fat foods.

Nicotine

Nicotine is a naturally occurring substance found in plants. It has a stimulant effect which promotes alertness, relaxation and a sense of calm. 

Medical research has shown nicotine to prevent a range of ailments including Kaposi’s sarcoma, bowel ulcers, preeclampsia and allergic asthma. Research is currently looking at using nicotine to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease, delay the onset of Parkinson’s disease. Nicotine can be an effective treatment of depression and is undergoing clinical trials to help adults with acute OCD.

Nicotine is a toxin, a poison when taken in excess. Ensure that you store bottles of E-Liquid in secure containers or high out of reach from children and pets.

Flavourings

Flavourings used in the manufacture of e-Liquid are generally food flavourings but some are oil-based flavourings – these are dangerous to vape and no competent e-Liquid manufacturer will use them.

Diacetyl is added to some flavours to give them a creamier taste. Again, this is to be avoided and you will see that some vendors advertise their liquids as being 'diacetyl-free'.

2) Many Health Organizations, Health Care Professionals and Scientist recognize the benefits of vaping over smoking tobacco

A survey carried out by University College London found smokers are approximately 60% more likely to report succeeding quitting smoking if they use e-cigarettes than if they use willpower alone or nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum.

A report commissioned by Public Health England states electronic cigarettes offer "vast potential health benefits", but requires appropriate regulation, careful monitoring, and risk management. "However the opportunity to harness this potential into public health policy, complementing existing comprehensive tobacco control policies, should not be missed."

Gilbert Ross MD, is a medical and executive director of the American Council on Science and Health. In his special report on The American, he states “simple common sense would dictate that inhaling the fewer, less harmful ingredients of e-cigarettes as compared to inhaling the thousands of chemicals in the smoke from burnt tobacco, many of which have been shown to be carcinogenic, is highly likely to be healthier.”

Derek Yach previously headed tobacco control at the WHO. He says he understands why anti-smoking activists are so distrustful of vaping and is one of those activists. However, he also acknowledges that the evidence is clear - ecigarettes are saving lives. He states everyone involved with tobacco control needs to make up for 50 years of ignoring the simple reality - that smoking kills and nicotine does not. Published February 2015.

American Council on Science and Health: “Tobacco firms already control 99 percent of the nicotine supply, and the firms could soon dominate the growing e-cigarette market. Unless constrained by the laws of the country concerned, tobacco firms could raise electronic cigarettes prices and their profit, decreasing the incentive for smokers to switch to safer products, and protecting firms’ tobacco cigarette sales revenue from competition.”

Royal College of Physicians, London: “On the basis of available evidence, the RCP believes that e-cigarettes could lead to significant falls in the prevalence of smoking in the UK, prevent many deaths and episodes of serious illness, and help to reduce the social inequalities in health that tobacco smoking currently exacerbates.”

Action on Smoking and Health, United Kingdom: “Electronic cigarettes are proving more attractive to smokers than NRT, while providing them with a safer alternative to cigarettes. There is evidence that they can be effective in helping smokers quit, and little evidence that they are being used by never smokers.”

Two thirds of physicians surveyed last year in North Carolina felt electronic cigarettes are a helpful aid for smoking cessation and 35% recommended them to their patients. 

3) You’ll never have smelly clothes again

Something that almost every vaper notices after leaving cigarettes behind is the smell. The pungent odour produced by a tobacco cigarette can almost be considered a hallmark of the product. Cigarette smoke clings to just about anything it comes in contact with – hair, skin, clothes, your curtains – anything. If you’re a tobacco smoker, you really don’t notice it so much since you’re immersed in it all of the time, but to non-smokers, and especially ex-smokers, this smell is very noticeable. Just a few days after making the switch from smoking to vaping, you will begin to notice the smell on other smokers and be glad that you no longer smell the same way.

In contrast, electronic cigarettes don't create lasting odours as the vapour evaporates almost instantly. This makes electronic cigarettes far more socially acceptable as they are virtually odourless. At the very most you’ll smell a pleasant, slightly sweet aroma of an e-liquid that may be flavoured with anything from a tobacco emulate through to vanilla or fruit. 

4) No mess, no fuss

With e-cigarettes, the days of dirty ashtrays, accidental burns and nicotine stained walls and ceilings are over. This means that your home stays clean; there is no ashtray for the cat or a toddler to knock over; and a feeling of clean air welcomes your visitors. For non-smokers this can have a significant impact on their desire to visit someone or to spend time in the presence of a smoker.

Vaping is becoming increasingly socially acceptable as smokers and non-smokers alike become aware of the products and the contrast with traditional tobacco. When out and about it’s possible to vape without adversely affecting anyone else in the immediate vicinity. As acceptance grows, the need to leave an occasion to go outside to light up is reducing. This means that smokers who may have previously spent half the night outside or itching to have a cigarette can do so. There are no cigarette butts to dispose of, no ash and no matches to litter the environment.

5) Tobacco Smokers Note Improved Health after Switching to Vaping

A team of independent university researchers wanted to know if switching to vaping had any impact on one's health. 

They established that 91% of smokers that switched allegiance to e-cigarettes tended to have improved health. They also found that 97% of those reduced or entirely saw off chronic coughs.

"The majority of the respondents indicated that their general health, smoker’s cough, ability to exercise, sense of smell and sense of taste were better since starting to use e-cigarettes"

This study demonstrates that some e-cigarette users replace all or some of their cigarette use for e-cigarettes, and perceive health benefits subsequent to this behavioral change. Electronic cigarettes (like all other smoking cessation strategies) do not work for everyone, but this survey does demonstrate that e-cigarettes have enabled some people to quit smoking, including some people for whom other methods had proven ineffective. These health benefits will likely be reversed if the trend towards banning e-cigarettes continues and people who replaced e-cigarettes for cigarettes resume smoking."

6) Spend less money

Many people are also switching to vaping in order to save money. This is especially true since the cost of regular tobacco products continues to climb, becoming more and more unaffordable for a variety of people. For example, a pack of cigarettes in the UK typically costs £8 (per pack of 20) so if you were to smoke a pack a day then you’d be spending around £250 per month, or £3000 per year.

In comparison, vaping represents a significant saving. E-liquid is available from £3-£5 for a 10ml bottle (equivalent to roughly 140 cigarettes), even the heaviest of smokers should see a significant difference in their wallets.

Although you have to spend a bit of money upfront to invest in the right vaping equipment, once you have these tools in your possession, you can use them many times before you have to replace them. Once you compare the initial costs of an e-cig kit with the costs of buying a pack of cigarettes a day, you will quickly realise that you will be saving a lot of money by making the simple switch to vaping.

7) Protecting others around you

Smoking tobacco significant impact of the health of those around you. Second hand smoke has been reported to cause around 600,000 deaths worldwide every year. As the vapour produced and exhaled from e-cigs doesn’t contain the same carcinogenic chemicals found in cigarettes, there is no second-hand safety risk to consider.

As ASH cite in their June 2014 briefing document:

“One study exposed animals to propylene glycol for 12 to 18 months at doses 50 to 700 times the level the animal could absorb through inhalation. Compared to animals living in normal room atmosphere, no localised or generalised irritation was found and kidney, liver, spleen and bone marrow were all found to be normal.”
Robertson OH, Loosli CG, Puck TT et al. Tests for the chronic toxicity of propylene glycol and triethylene glycol on monkeys and rats by vapour inhalation and oral administration. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1947; 91: 52–76.

8) Choose from a Variety of Flavours

Even though you can certainly purchase e-liquids that are flavoured like tobacco, you can have a lot more fun with vaping because you can choose from a variety of e-liquid flavours to suit your fancy.

For example, if you are in the mood for something fruity, you can indulge in flavours like watermelon, cherry, banana, apple, blueberry, grape, strawberry, peach, and so much more.

Or if you would prefer a dessert flavour to fill your craving for sweets, you can opt for flavours that include, but are not limited to, chocolate, vanilla, and cheesecake.

You can even go for a coffee flavoured e-liquid, or refresh your mouth with a mint flavour. So whether you’re looking for something traditional, something savoury, or something sweet, you can have your pick. And you can even mix e-liquid flavours together to create a combination of tastes that you will love.

9) Vaping is more socially acceptable 

Over the years the social impact of tobacco smoking has taken its toll and everyone from potential romantic interests to employers have been influenced by whether a person smokes. The view of tobacco smoking is now largely negative and restrictions surrounding cigarettes are at an all-time high. Vaping, on the other hand, is far more acceptable. Whilst policies vary from establishment to establishment, you can vape with far more confidence without being seen as unhealthy and irresponsible.

Electronic cigarettes offer a great alternative for any smoker who is looking to enjoy nicotine. The social benefits of these devices are numerous, and there’s no reason to resort to tobacco when these electronic devices offer such significant advantages.

10)  Vaping is the Perfect Transition to a Smoke Free Life 

Electronic cigarettes are successful because they give former smokers the opportunity to continue the “act” of smoking without actually inhaling any smoke. When you choose to vape, you can select an exact nicotine strength and gradually lower the amount of nicotine you use over time. It’s the perfect bridge to smoking cessation. Science backs this as true! The University of Catania did a study to test ecigs as smoking cessation devices and found that 25% quit smoking completely after switching to electronic cigarettes and 50% cut their tobacco use in half.

While the amount of nicotine delivered with a tobacco cigarette is fairly constant at 20mg per cigarette, it can vary greatly with electronic cigarettes. You can scale it from around 24mg to no nicotine at all! This allows you to start at the level you’re used to and work your way down to no nicotine over time, if you don’t want to be consuming nicotine.

If you are still puffing on cigarettes, don’t let another day go by without making a change. Just give vaping a try and see if it work for you. For those readers that are already committed to vaping, share this article with your friends and family that still use tobacco! 

What are You Waiting for?

There has really never been a better time to quit smoking cigarettes. With more and more research continually being released about the adverse effects of smoking, and the negative consequences of second-hand smoke for those around you, it is no wonder that vaping has become so popular so quickly. Inhaling vapour that is produced without combustion, and enjoying myriad e-liquids in a wide array of flavours, is a great way to get your nicotine fix without having to put your health at risk.

Photo credit: TBEC Review / Foter / CC BY

Article originally posted at: http://www.vapezi.co.uk/blogs/new/17353604-10-reasons-why-vaping-is-better-than-smoking-tobacco

Related Information:

• Physicians, Health Departments, Politicians, and Anti-Tobacco Groups are All Spouting Misinformation About Electronic Cigarettes
• Electronic cigarette aerosol contains 6 times LESS formaldehyde than tobacco cigarette smoke