Last year, the London fire departments STOPTOBER campaign was openly promoting vaping. Here’s why.
The heatwave in the UK has seen more fires, both natural and manmade burning through the headlines. With the heatwave has come hosepipe bans, thick layers of sunscreen, and a more cautious attitude to the disposing of cigarettes. This isn’t surprising; smoking has caused countless housefires for hundreds of years and many lives have been lost because of it. Even a single ember in a confined room could cause a fire if left untended. Alongside its health benefits, vaping has been promoted for anti-burn agendas, as well as by the London Fire Department during the STOPTOBER campaign last October. With the intention of promoting an anti-smoking message, the Stoptober Campaign also warned of the dangers of smoking and the increased risk of fires, offering vaping as an alternative.
The fire department and vaping
As of 2016, the London Fire department officially changed their vaping guidelines to match those of health professionals. With four times as many people smoking than vaping, their research showed that there were still 225 times more smoking related fires than there were vaping. Even with the disparity, the message was clear. On a fire causing level at least, smoking was more dangerous than vaping.
Will vaping really decrease the risk of fires?
On a more specific level, the London fire department calculated that in the past 3 years, they had been called to 3580 smoking related fires, as opposed to the 15 caused by vaping. This meant that the fire department were far more likely to take up a pro vaping stance, not only because of their fire risk, but due to their health benefits as well. With no recorded deaths or injuries resulting from vaping, heat not burn devices seem like the logical advice for firefighters to give.
How to vape fire free
There were still those 15 reported cases however, and firefighters are right to urge people to exercise caution and care when vaping. Ensuring that your devices are installed and used correctly will help to combat unnecessary fire calls. Last summer for instance, a vape device burst in Euston Station in London during rush hour, prompting the station to be shut down and a bomb disposal unit to be dispatched. It is vital therefore, that you look after your vape device.
Use the right charger
A charger not suited to your vape device is a sure-fire way to see your device short out. If you’re looking for a good way to minimise the risk of electrical fires in your home, use the charger provided when you bought your vape device. All vape devices have different power outputs and different applications for their charging kits. Most however, will use USB chargers, giving you a versatile and easy way to keep vaping, if the kit is compatible that is.
Use the right batteries
Vape devices have different power settings depending on the kind of device they are. This means that using the right batteries is vital to the longevity of your device, and in minimising the risk of accidents. What’s more, faulty batteries can lead to fire related incidents involving your vape device. If your battery seems to have been tampered with in any way, ensure that you replace it with one in working order.
Bootleg vape juices
Another safety issue concerning vape devices is that the vape juices can sometimes be bootlegged, causing them to overheat in devices and cause big problems when it comes to vape safety. With clogged up coils risking the device to burn out, there are a whole range of problems which can come with faulty vape liquids. With spit back just one of several issues, always ensure that you are keeping your vape device running on premium e liquids. You never know what is in the bootlegs.