Vaping has overtaken smoking as the go to nicotine supplement. This is in part due to it being cheaper, and in part thanks to the sheer amount of research which has gone into its use. WIth countless shops, including our own Welling Vape Shop focussed solely on e cigarettes, the boom is well and truly snowballing. This has led to many critics of the industry voicing opinions which have made their way into the mainstream media. This has also meant that many non vapers, and even those who were thinking about it before, are being repelled by myths perpetuated by sceptics. This is not surprising, any product which gains a lot of traction and focus will come under scrutiny. With something like vaping however, the results of perpetuated myths could be damaging to many peoples health.
It should be pointed out that the below facts are substantiated by a range of key companies and scientific charities. Among others, this includes the Royal College of Physicians, Cancer Research UK, Action on Smoking and Health and the US based National Academy of Sciences.
E liquids are made with unknown ingredients
One of the main worries about e liquids is that they are made with a range of chemicals which we know very little about. The booming market, people worry, will mean that many companies will be overlooked if they begin to place dangerous but cheaper chemicals in their liquid, leading to a degradation of quality and a potential threat to vapers health. The truth couldn’t be more contrary, whilst some companies in the early days of vaping may have used bootlegged ingredients, now the laws are so stringent that it would be more difficult to add contaminants and get away with it than make high quality juice. All vape juices contain only five ingredients. That is propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine, water and the flavouring agents, all of which have passed EU and British safety laws.
E cigarettes are more dangerous than smoking in causing house fires
There have been many worries about electrical fires starting because of smoking, and of vape batteries exploding. Graphic, yet out of context injuries have been shown of what happens when vape batteries explode, leading to worry that this is a more common occurrence than it actually is. Whilst caution and safety measures must be adhered to when charging and installing batteries, the London Fire Department showed their support of the Stoptober quit smoking campaign back in 2017, highlighting how cigarettes caused over 5950 house fires between 2014 and 2017. If more people vaped, house fires would decrease dramatically.
E cigarettes cause popcorn lung
Diacetyl, a chemical linked to a debilitating lung disease named bronchiolitis, or “popcorn lung” has been affiliated in the past with flavourings in e liquids. Whilst this chemical has caused damage through the related disease, the presence of diacetyl in some of the more buttery e liquid flavourings has been significantly reduced, almost to the point of complete exclusion from premium products. On top of this, the triggering of bronchiolitis only occurs through prolonged and concentrated exposure to the chemical. Many sufferers related to diacetyl have been factory workers who have spent longer periods of time handling diacetyl.
E cigarettes are completely unregulated
This is a complete falsification. As it stands, all e cigarettes and e liquids are protected by EU health and safety laws, as well as the TPD laws which were introduced in May 2017. These laws ensure that there is always a tight leash on the ingredients used. Whilst the change in the laws led to a range of e liquid clearance sales and some products being rejigged to meet the standards, they are simply there to keep us safe from dangerous chemicals.
Nicotine is the most dangerous chemical in tobacco
It is a fact that nicotine is addictive. In tobacco products, it is the nicotine which hooks the user, and the other ingredients which damage their body, As a product which is almost completely free carcinogens or toxic chemicals, vape devices give all the benefits of nicotine, without the harmful effects of tobacco. In part, this is because of the heat not burn solution which vape liquids provide.
Passive vaping is a real problem
Passive vaping has been reported as a real worry among non vapers. Whilst second hand smoke really created a problem in the smoking world, leading to countless bans in many public spaces, passive vaping has been deemed a threat to non vapers as well. In reality, no harmful chemicals are released in the vapour exhale. The only toxic chemical picked up in vapour was formaldehyde, and in such small quantities that it is not thought to be any more concentrated than the amount found in every day air.
E cigarettes are a gateway to smoking for young people
Whilst in the past young people have been able to find nicotine containing e liquids on the black market, all legitimate vape companies have laws and ID checks in place to ensure that you cannot buy products when underrage. There has been evidence that young people do experiment with e cigarettes, but regular usage seems to be restricted to those who already smoke, meaning that there is no correlation between beginning to vape, and starting to smoke.
Vape companies are used by tobacco companies to keep people smoking
In reality, it seems that companies such as Phillip Morris have actually rejigged the way they think about their entire business. With Phillip Morris having already made a pledge to cut out tobacco products entirely from their range, many tobacco companies are seeing the allure of the vape industry. Many already sell their own heat not burn devices, and more pressure is being put on them to hand over more of their profits to charities combating smoking related diseases. Whilst the future is still unclear, it seems that vaping is gaining control over the smoking industry, and not the other way around.