Making Sense of Vaping Myths

Vaper holding e cigarette with vapour cloudYarns, fables, fantasies, legends, myths…whatever you call them, vaping myths are amongst them. Whether around the campfire or propped up against the bar of your local pub, for centuries stories have been told, emboldened, and inflated from one teller to the next – it’s kind of a thing that we humans do from time to time. Cornerstones of aimless conversation, tales can tend to lack the kind of substance and truth that can, instead of providing fruitful fodder for debate, can, in fact, put someone off making a potentially life-changing decision.

Due to the nature of e cigarettes and vaping (“nicotine, electricity and vapour oh my”), there are unfortunately some folk that exist staunchly set on giving vaping a bad name via the stuff of legend which may account for the reason that 44% of UK smokers believe that vaping is as bad for you as smoking. From the outlandish to the ludicrous, let’s take a look at how to make sense of vaping myths and how to stay smoke free.

 

Vaping Myths Debunked

Whether its e-cigarettes spontaneously bursting into flames or contracting the unpleasant-sounding popcorn lung, there is, unfortunately, a multitude of curious conjectures on e cigs that cause an awful lot of misunderstanding among the many. Let’s flip the switch and debunk some vaping myths;

  • Vaping Is Bad For You: Not true – Public Health England declared vaping to be 95% less harmful than smoking and that actually e cigarettes have the potential to help tobacco smokers become smoke free.
  • Nicotine Is Bad For You: Because nicotine has traditionally been associated with cigarettes, people can tend to think that that’s what is harmful as opposed to the thousands of the carcinogenic chemicals, carbon monoxide and black sticky tar released from the burning of tobacco. While nicotine is highly addictive, the quantities it would take to suffer serious harm would be extraordinary. With e-juice typically available in varying nicotine strengths from 0% – 2%, the most you’re going to feel is a little queasy – if this is the case, simply go down a level in nicotine strength and drink lots of water.
  • Popcorn Lung: A real disease. Discovered following factory workers complaining of respiratory problems while packing popcorn containing the food additive diacetyl. While low levels of diacetyl were found in some e-liquids in the past, in the UK the substance is banned under the Tobacco Products Directive.
  • Second Hand Vapour is Dangerous: Despite the popular belief, passive vapour is nowhere near as bad as passive smoke from cigarettes. This is because e-liquids do not contain tobacco or carbon monoxide. Therefore, the substances inhaled are not as dangerous. Plus, the particles evaporate in a different way. This means less chance of a person nearby inhaling those particles, which disintegrate quicker.
  • Vape Devices Do Not Explode Regularly: From time to time, if you do not take care of an electrical device, whether that’s a mobile or a laptop, overheating a battery or not giving it the correct maintenance can prove its downfall. In recent times, we have seen stories of e-cigarette kits exploding, making its way into popular media. However, a bit of tender love and care with your vape device will quickly remove this vaping myth.

Vaping is 95% Less Harmful than Smoking

As we mentioned, one of the most important pieces of information to consider when it comes to whether or not you’ll continue to smoke or pursue the potentially life-changing way of vaping, comes from the knowledgeable folk at Public Health England who said in 2015 that e cigarettes are up to 95% less harmful than smoking tobacco and that vaping has the potential to help smokers quit.

While incorrect conversations may continue around you, the only way to stem the flow of false information is with conviction. Let smokers know that vaping is a safer alternative to tobacco products. Spread the good word.