Smoking happens all over the world and has been the epicentre of health debate for decades. We were all made well aware of the dangers of tobacco, however it continued to be a popular choice despite all the advertisements warning against. That was until e-cigarettes came around!
Over the past few years, e-cigarettes have skyrocketed in popularity, with many smokers changing over to reap the benefits.
So, what are those benefits? Read on to find out!
Tobacco
E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco. Experts agree vaping is largely safer and healthier than smoking because of this one factor. Smoking remains the largest single risk factor for death and years of live lived in ill-health in England.
E-liquid’s lack of carcinogens (the link to cardiovascular, lung and other diseases) is what makes it a popular (and healthier) alternative to smoking. E-liquid contains four main ingredients: Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerine (VG), Nicotine and Food Flavourings. Minus the nicotine, these are all ingredients found in foods, medicines and other everyday products.
Nicotine
As we read everywhere, nicotine is a highly addictive substance!
All cigarettes contain nicotine. E-cigarettes however provide options. From 20mg (extremely strong) right down to 0mg, you can choose the level of nicotine you require. This is particularly helpful for those trying to quit completely, allowing you to reduce your level slowly, at a rate that suits you!
People who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking were twice as likely to succeed as people who used other nicotine replacement products, such as patches or gum – A major UK clinical trial published 2019.
Money
Switching over to e-cigarettes from smoking will save you a lot of money! Last March (2020) the cost of cigarettes was raised, with the average pack now costing £12-£13.
If you were a heavy smoker, smoking one pack a day, that’s a minimum of £4380 per year!
Vaping costs far less. For a novice, you may need to spend an initial £20 on a starter kit, alongside e-liquid. Later down the line as a pro vaper, e-liquid, coils and other accessories would come to an average of £50 a month, if that! This works out at £600 a year.
That is a huge saving!
Health
As per a research report, vaping is 95% safer than smoking, of which you have already learnt about the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes and their effect on your health! There are numerous trials happening across the UK, supporting the idea of e-cigarettes being provided as a ‘help to quit’ option alongside patches and gum.
As well as your own health, we need to consider those around us. As stated on the NHS website, there’s no evidence so far that vaping causes harm to other people around you.
This is in contrast to secondhand smoke from smoking, which is known to be very harmful to health.
Flavour
If you have looked up vaping, you will be aware of the insane amount of flavours e-liquid comes in! Desserts, fruits, menthol, confectionary etc! You name it, it has most certainly been created! There are also options to create your own – the possibilities are endless.
Smoking on the other hand only provides a tar taste with carcinogens to follow. You have various ranges of tobacco to choose from, however they all follow the same path.
Environment
This is an area that little research has been put into, so we found it fairly difficult to write about!
One thing we did find was a study published in the British Journal of Medical Practice in 2014. This study stated “the vapour contains nothing like the concentrations of carcinogens and toxins as in cigarette smoke. In fact, toxin concentrations are almost all well below 1/20th than that of cigarette smoke.” Suggesting it to be less harmful when released into the environment.
Another point to make is how many times a vaper reuses in comparison to a cigarette. Every time a vaper fills up their tank with e-liquid, they are reusing. As apposed to a cigarette only being burnt once before being discarded.
If you are interested in reading more about the environmental advantages, check out this article!
The bottom line
Vaping has been proven to be better for your health, wallet and taste buds! However, we will leave the ultimate decision to you!
