Vaping receives a lot of negative attention. Although there are some good stories concerning the health benefits of electronic cigarettes, they are often overshadowed by discussion of speculative concerns and exaggerated threats. It is difficult to find information regarding vaping.
Recently, 15 former presidents of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) wrote a study in the American Journal of Public Health saying that powerful interests and lobbying groups are ignoring or misrepresenting vaping’s potential benefits to public health.
When renowned scientists and experts in important domains disagree with the mainstream viewpoint, they are ignored (that vaping is just as bad as smoking, if not worse). That is extremely perplexing!
This article can help to clarify and simplify the subject while also providing a fair dose of real-world benefits. So, what are the true benefits and drawbacks of vaping? Let’s get started.
The Advantages of Vaping
1. It’s safer than smoking: According to the British Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England, as well as the American National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes. According to the PHE, vaping is “at least 95% less hazardous.” Because vaping does not involve combustion, there is no smoke, and smoke is what produces the tar and carbon monoxide that cause the majority of the long-term health effects of smoking. The health benefits of not smoking include increased lung and heart function, as well as improved sensations of smell and taste.
2. No noxious odors: One of the most significant advantages of vaping is that you, your clothes, your home, and your automobile will no longer smell like smoking. Vaping has an odor, but it is far from the odor of stale smoke and cigarette butts. Indeed, even tobacco-flavored vapes do not smell like burning tobacco. The scent of vapor is scarcely perceptible to many individuals. You may even receive compliments!
6. Instant gratification: While complex vapes may necessitate some initial fiddling, there are many simpler items that come prefilled and ready to use. In either case, taking a hit is as simple as pressing a button or drawing on the device once the vape is ready (some have an automatic draw). While all vaping devices require a charged battery and e-juice to function, the average vape may last you all day with no maintenance or upkeep.
7. Price points to suit every budget: The vaping industry is huge and competitive. There are numerous goods in every price range—from $10 to hundreds of dollars—that can accommodate practically any user. Whether you desire a simple disposable e-cigarette or a complicated vape mod with quality e-liquid, there is a vape available that you can start using right away.
8. No prior experience required: You can acquire vaping gear or learn how to construct your own coils as a hobby, but you can also have a terrific vaping experience right away as a novice. There are several great vaping products that do not require any prior experience, ranging from beginner beginning kits to simple pod vapes.
9. Availability and accessibility: Nowadays, good vapor products can be found in vape shops, convenience stores, petrol stations, and even smoking shops. There are also online vape businesses that will deliver vaping products to your door.
The disadvantages of vaping
1. Too many alternatives: The infinite possibilities given by the vaping market can be intimidating to a beginner vaper or a smoker considering a shift. When you smoke cigarettes, you choose a brand and light up, but when it comes to vaping, there are literally millions of options. So, it’s best to point people who are interested in vaping toward easy-to-use products with clear instructions to get started. As new vapers learn the finer points, they can then turn to good sources of more information like vape shops, forums, and experienced vapers.
2. The vape learning curve: Buying a product that demands specialist expertise may be the most dangerous thing a rookie vaper can do. Many frequently become confused and frustrated, and they regret attempting to switch to vaping. There is no need for a lengthy learning curve! Simple entry-level products are generally the best first option.
3. Potential health risks: It is true that vaping is still in its early stages, and we do not yet understand every potential harm it may pose. However, if you’re utilizing vaping to quit smoking, you may rest easy knowing that you’ve removed yourself from the well-documented hazards of smoking. The chemicals in cigarette smoke that make it so dangerous are either completely missing or present in trace amounts in e-cig vapor. This makes vaping and “secondhand vapor” much safer for both vapers and people around them.
4. Smoking stigma affects vapers: For nearly 60 years, tobacco control has concentrated on smoking “denormalization,” which is just a fancy way of saying stigmatizing smoking and smokers. The same drug war-style campaign to dehumanize smokers is now being used against vapers. Because vaping seems to be for individuals who do neither, smokers who transition to safer vaping products are frequently saddened to realize they face the same stigma founded on ignorance, fear, and intolerance.
5. Vaping is viewed as a youth problem: Due to constant news headlines about a “teen vaping epidemic,” older smokers may be wary of using vaping to quit smoking. Adults of all ages vape—and the legal purchasing age for vapes is 21—but for people coming to e-cigarettes today, just after the “JUUL panic,” it may be difficult to distinguish the harm reduction benefits of vaping from the adolescent fad.
6. Nicotine misinformation: Nicotine is possibly the most misunderstood drug on the planet. It’s actually simply a mild stimulant with caffeine-like effects. However, because its past is inextricably linked to smoking—a highly risky delivery mechanism—nicotine has a bad connotation. Although nicotine does not cause cancer or heart disease, many people, including doctors who regularly treat lifetime smokers, confuse the consequences of nicotine and smoking. For many users, nicotine can provide health benefits.
7. Restrictive laws and rules: Vaping has been a prime target for laws and regulations that limit vaping options, availability, and cost, mostly because of the “epidemic” produced by anti-vaping organizations. More than half of American states impose vaping product tariffs, and Congress recently enacted legislation prohibiting USPS delivery of vaping products. Some states have prohibited the sale of vape goods with flavors other than tobacco.
FDA restrictions may remove vaping options. The Food and Drug Administration’s Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) procedure may be the most serious regulatory danger to vaping. Manufacturers who want to keep their products on the market had to submit lengthy applications last fall to establish they are “suitable for the preservation of public health.” According to experts, the FDA will use the PMTA procedure to remove many of the greatest vaping products from the market. (By the way, cigarettes were grandfathered into the market without needing to submit PMTAs.)
9. Discovering the facts about vaporizing is difficult: Vaping is a revolutionary technology that affects both the tobacco industry and the powerful anti-smoking sector. It can be difficult for a smoker or novice vaper to differentiate the lies from the reality regarding vaping since these powerful adversaries spread their narratives through every type of news channel and even through allied federal institutions. because there are numerous terrifying stories involving vaping. It’s easy to get scared off.
You have an option.
You should now have a better understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of vaping. There are several places on both sides. However, when considering vaping as an alternative to smoking, it should be evident that it is the better option of the two. Even though vaping isn’t the only way to fight cigarette addiction, each of the other methods has its pros and cons.
Vaping is popular because it provides nicotine and a smoking-like feel without the combustion products that make smoking so dangerous. But vaping isn’t without flaws, and it’s not for everyone. Whatever you pick, be sure you understand the benefits and drawbacks of vaping.
