Vaping can be a complicated topic, especially when it comes to transitioning smokers. New vapers often head online in order to ask questions about the health risks and costs associated with vaping products. But unfortunately, some commonly perpetuated myths have been misleading for them.
Global health experts have called out the World Health Organisation to ditch its anti-vaping stance. The misinformation about vaping will cause fear in smokers, and they may not be able to switch to vaping in time. The deaths due to smoking are already taking place, and vaping is one way to prevent these. Some countries banning vaping devices may encourage young people to pick up smoking as a habit, unable to use the safer alternative in the form of vaping devices.
We’ll break down some common misconceptions of vaping so that you can make an informed decision.
Seven Misconceptions of Vaping
As we know misinformation is harmful. It is important to understand the facts to debunk myths. Here are the most popular vaping misconceptions we can’t stop rolling our eyes over.
1. Nicotine containing vaping devices are just as harmful as smoking
The harm cigarettes cause has been known for decades, but recent evidence suggests that it is not just the nicotine in tobacco that poses this risk. Instead, thousands of chemicals are responsible for the harmfulness when combustion occurs during smoking. The downside may be more complicated than originally thought. Some researchers believe inhaling toxins could alter your DNA and permanently affect heart health.
In vaping, there is no such occurrence of combustion taking place as there isn't any fire! The flavours of vape do not stick to your clothes either. According to Public Health England (PHE), vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking; therefore, it reduces the overall health risks.
2. Second-hand vapour is harmful
Cigarette smoke is so harmful that it even damages the health of those around you, including your family, friends, and pets. This effect occurs more than just on first contact with an individual who smokes, as this toxic byproduct will also damage their environment.
Second-Hand Smoke (SHS) has led many governments to implement anti-smoking laws in public areas such as bars or clubs. This can oftentimes result in heavier fines for non-compliance depending upon location within your country's law code.
SHS is very harmful to health and affects people who don’t even smoke. It increases the chances of individuals contracting serious lung diseases like cancer due to the presence of carcinogens.
One of the biggest concerns with vaping is that it will be mistaken for smoking. Fortunately, PHE found that there are no identified health risks from passive vaping to a passerby when they conducted an evidence review on vaping devices.
This is a relief for vapers and their ability to indulge while keeping others around them healthy by being respectful about where they choose to vape. Although everyone should still practice being mindful about the location as we still have our responsibility whenever possible to avoid doing anything which would upset others.
3. Vaping isn't helpful in quitting smoking
Quitting smoking is never an easy task, and it becomes even more challenging when you've been dependent on nicotine for a long time. Many products exist that can help with quitting, such as nicotine patches or sprays to be used instead of normal cigarettes. They work by releasing small amounts of nicotine every hour into the bloodstream so people can manage the cravings.
One of the methods to quit smoking is to switch to vaping. Although vaping has been around since the 1920’s, it has only really become popular the past decade and is still growing exponentially. Despite its popularity, people are still on fence about whether or not vaping can help them quit smoking.
One common misconception is that this alternative will lead to increased cigarette consumption instead of lessening your intake entirely. However, studies have shown that smokers who use their vapes alongside find success quitting.
Furthermore, according to recent research by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), vaping seems to be twice as effective at helping people quit smoking. They found that participants who used vapes experienced significantly fewer withdrawal symptoms when compared with those using other nicotine replacements.
In 2021, Public Health England released a summary update of their most current research on quitting smoking. The study found that combining vaping products with stop-smoking service support should be available for all who want to quit smoking. As a result, it's been proven again as one of the most successful methods out there!
4. Vaping will make you take up smoking
Vaping is a much safer alternative to smoking and should be encouraged to help people kick their habits. In fact, there's been no evidence found so far that shows vaping leads them into cigarettes eventually. This is one of the most blindly followed misconceptions of vaping.
A new study by the UK's PHE has found that despite some experimentation among never smokers, e-cigarettes attract few young people who do not smoke. According to their 2018 evidence review, there has been no significant increase in experimental behaviour in adolescents.
5. Vaping products are not regulated
This is another huge misconception of vaping where people make an assumption for vaping products to be not regulated. There are Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) and the Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products Regulations 2020 in place to ensure safe vaping.
As per these regulations and laws, there are standards for the safety and quality of all e-cigarettes and refill containers. The laws restrict the vape tank capacity to not exceed 2ml. There is also a restriction on the purchased quantity. The maximum volume of the refill container containing nicotine is set at 10ml and liquids containing nicotine cannot exceed more than 20mg (at least in the UK). Further to this, there is an age restriction to stop under 18s from buying vape products.
6. Vaping is an expensive habit
After switching to vaping, you can reduce your expenditure by 92% in comparison to smoking. One millilitre of vape juice roughly amounts to 100 puffs. Therefore, you need to invest in a good vaping device and quality vape juices in the beginning. Moreover, you can consider a rebuildable device and DIY liquids. This will help in reducing the overall expenditure and help save money. You can also learn how to prime the coil instead of using pre-made ones.
7. Vaping is difficult to quit
E-liquids come in different strengths that can be adjusted: 0mg, 3mg, 5mg, 10mg and 20mg. This gives you total control over your nicotine intake. As a result, you can gradually reduce the nicotine dependency in your body. You will be able to suffice your cravings and reduce the harm caused simultaneously. If your goal is to quit smoking safely, vaping is a proven game changer.
Wrapping Up
Now that you have more clarity about misconceptions about vaping, you can make a better choice for yourself. It's always better to do your research instead of believing in passed on information. When science has your back, you can confidently ditch myths.
