With the popularity of vaping on the rise, the health risks associated with it are top of mind. While experts can’t definitively state whether it is bad for you, research is ongoing. In this article, we’ve compiled some up-to-date information on the risk and benefits of vaping.
How it gained popularity?
Vaping started out as a way for heavy smokers to avoid many of the more definitively harmful ingredients in cigarettes, such as tar and carcinogens. It was also thought that vaping as an alternative to smoking, would help some quit. However, using it as a smoking cessation tool has not been found to be effective. A majority of those who turned to vaping as an alternative have simply traded one habit for another.
Is it Better or Worse than Smoking?
Some argue that vaping is a better alternative to smoking cigarettes or marijuana joints. With vaping, you purchase a liquid, that comes in different flavours. That liquid is then heated with other solvents to produce an aerosol and turned into a vapour that delivers nicotine or THC. The concerns from healthcare professionals are that the liquid can contain harmful chemicals. When this liquid is heated up it can be carcinogenic. It can also constrict and inflame your lungs and long-term use can cause shortness of breath.
Another major concern is, many consumers, especially teens and young adults use it as more of a fun activity. This demographic is starting to use it recreationally and the majority have never started smoking in the first place. Nicotine is a stimulant and can affect the development of young brains. Along with nicotine, other concerns are the abundant variety of flavour choices. This flavouring is what has made it so popular among teens and it is uncertain if this flavouring contains dangerous chemicals.
If you were never a smoker, and you want to try vaping for fun, this can be a problem. Because the e-cigarette contains nicotine, vaping can become highly addictive. Another cause for concern is the scientific community still doesn’t know the real underlying health risk associated with vaping, causes concern for using it frequently and long-term.
E-Cig vs. Vaping
It should be known that while all e-cigarettes are vaping products, not all vaping products are e-cigarettes. E-cigs are beneficial in the way that they release nicotine without all the negative causes smoking cigarettes has such as unhealthy teeth and gums, destroying your taste buds and causing cancer. It can include nicotine or cannabis products. The use of vaping may seem like a better choice, compared to smoking but it also has its own set of consequences, and we may want to think of those consequences down the road.
Who’s Vaping?
The bottom line is people are going to continue to vape because they find the positive factors outweigh the potential health risks. Sales of e-cigarettes have approached $8 billion per year and are continuing to rise.
Terry Trainer has been a long-time user of e-cigs and THC vape pens. He says he’s aware of the risks, but he would never go back to smoking cigarettes. He might still smoke the odd joint, but he prefers to vape to avoid the overpowering smell of cigarettes and marijuana and he also says that it is cheaper than what he paid to supply his smoking habit.
We all have the ability to make informed decisions and we generally know what is good and bad for our bodies. It only took 700 years to understand the harms of smoking tobacco, yet cigarette companies are still in business. Knowing the risks of vaping may encourage you to quit, or you may find vaping is the right decision for you.