One of the hottest debates today is whether vaping is a safe way for traditional cigarette smokers to quit or cut-down on their smoking. According to Web MD current evidence suggests that smoking e-cigarettes may be safer than smoking traditional cigarettes. One of the biggest health risks from a traditional cigarette are the toxins given off by tobacco products. E-cigarettes contain no tobacco products. Tests on e-cigarettes have shown that the toxins that may be given off by an e-cigarette are less dangerous than a traditional tobacco cigarette.
The safety issue of e-cigarettes continue to wage on due to the few chemicals that are in e-cigarettes, such as nicotine. The amount of nicotine in an e-cigarette is up to the smoker. The nicotine is in the e–liquid, also known as e-juice. The amount of nicotine in an e-liquid can range from 24 mg to 0 mg. This gives the smoker the option to choose what level of nicotine he wants in his e-cigarettes. For the traditional cigarette smoker trying to cut-down or quit, this an ideal way to reduce the level of nicotine slowly and at his own pace.
Many e-cigarettes are made to look like traditional cigarettes. For the smoker that is trying to cut-down or quit the cigarette-like feel is comforting. The e-cigarette user inhales through a mouth-piece at one end. The air-flow triggers a sensor that switches on a battery-powered heater. The heater vaporizes liquid nicotine that is in a small cartridge. This also activates a light at the other end of the e-cigarette, much like the lit end of a traditional cigarette. The heater also vaporizes propylene glycol, a chemical that makes what appears to be smoke. This is the same substance that is used to create smoke in theatrical productions. When the smoker inhales an e-cigarette he gets a puff of hot vapor that has the same sensation as a traditional tobacco cigarette. With no smoke from tobacco, the e-cigarette is not only healthier for the smoker but there is also no health risk from second-hand smoke for others like in a traditional cigarette.
Several other benefits of vaping versus traditional tobacco products are costs and the bans on public smoking. The cost of traditional cigarettes per pack has sky-rocketed in recent years forcing smokers to look for cheaper alternatives. Although costs vary with the method used in vaping, in general, e-cigarettes can be much more cost effective. E-cigarettes come in several varieties. Some are disposable and thrown away after one use. Others have rechargeable batteries and can be re-filled with e-liquids. The other benefit of vaping is there are very few places that smoking e-cigarettes is banned, unlike the many restrictions now enforced about where traditional cigarettes can be smoked.
The health benefits of the e-cigarette being a valid way for a traditional tobacco cigarette smoker to cut-down or quit are clear. Vaping gives the smoker a product that looks and feels like a traditional cigarette without the many health risks of the traditional tobacco product.
References:
- Web MD. “E-cigarettes 101”
25 April 2016
http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/electronic-cigarettes
