It’s normal to have a couple of questions before buying your first vape. Here we answer nine questions about vaping, its safety and e-liquids so that you know a bit more before you buy.
Vapes are making big waves as an alternative to cigarette smoking, but this doesn’t make them a better option than quitting altogether, so it’s good to learn more about the health side of vaping before you buy.
Check out these nine questions before heading to the best vape shop Brisbane or Melbourne has to offer::
⦁ What exactly is vaping?
The word “vaping” simply refers to heating a substance to the point it produces vapour. Vaping technology includes a battery, e-liquid cartridge, mouthpiece and heating component. The device heats up the e-liquid which then produces a vapour to be inhaled and then exhaled out of the lungs.
⦁ What ingredients are in e-liquid?
The most typical e-liquid ingredients are flavourings and nicotine. The flavourings typically include glycerin and propylene glycol, ingredients typically viewed as safe for food use, though there is still research to be conducted in regards to inhaling these substances.
Flavourings can also contain diacetyl, typically used to produce popcorn’s buttery flavour. When diacetyl is inhaled, this substance is linked to obstructive lung disease and something called “popcorn lung”, something that can cause dry coughing and shortness of breath.
Once the e-liquid is heated to produce a vapour, toxic chemicals begin to form, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, both of which are carcinogens. What’s more, heating e-liquid also produces acrolein, which can be harmful to the lungs and contribute to heart disease.
Finally, small toxic metal particles like lead, nickel, cadmium, tin and mercury have all been found in the aerosol produced from vaporizers.
⦁ Is vaping addictive?
Yes: e-liquids containing nicotine are addictive for the user.
⦁ Is vaping better than smoking cigarettes?
There really aren’t any vaping or smoking products that are good for your health, but the American Centre of Disease Control does say that “e-cigarettes have the potential to benefit adult smokers who are not pregnant if used as a complete substitute for regular cigarettes and other smoked tobacco products”.
They also recommend that a person who has made the switch from cigarettes to vaporizers should not return to smoking cigarettes afterwards.
⦁ Can vapes help you quit smoking?
Whilst there is no specific research to this claim, personal anecdotal evidence indicates that certain people who have switched from cigarettes to vaporizers have eventually quit smoking cigarettes.
⦁ So, is vaping safe?
Vaping is not safe or in any sense good for health. Naturally, abstaining from any form of toxic inhalation is better for your health. There is the perception (though research is still being conducted) that vaping is better than smoking. Even if this proves once and for all to be the case, vaping is still bad for your health.
⦁ Is there nicotine in e-liquid?
E-liquids typically contain nicotine.
⦁ Is second-hand vapour bad for health?
According to America’s CDC, inhaling all forms of second hand smoke is bad for your health and can potentially contribute to heart and lung problems.
⦁ What are the main concerns surrounding vapes?
The primary concern surrounding the use of vapes is that they are harmful for the heart and lungs. Despite many advertisements surrounding the issue, there is still plenty of research to be conducted into the potential health impact of regular, long-term vape use, with health experts the world over concerned that vapes and vaporizing e-liquid can be damaging for the heart and lungs.
