Is Vaping Better than Smoking?
Well, isn’t that the burning question we all want to get an answer to?!
The general consensus is that vaping is a far better alternative to smoking. We are not categorically stating that vaping is 100% safe, but we’ll get to that in a moment.
Truth is, everyone and their neighbor knows smoking kills. It is a dangerous pastime with serious health effects which vary from one person to the next based on the person’s health, weight, and size.
7 million people worldwide die each year directly from smoking, according to the World Health Organization, with an additional 1.2 million deaths caused by second-hand cigarette smoke.
Of course, every “drug” will always have its fair share of health concerns, but an increasing number of people seem to prefer using e-cig devices over traditional cigarettes.
Usually, when you’re trying to get the most unbiased opinion, there are two entities best placed to give you the straight dope: a). experienced individuals who have been to both sides of the aisle and b). science.
The Case of the Experienced Individuals and Science
Heavy smokers who have switched to vaping have reported positive benefits that come from making that transition, varying from an ability to taste and perceive smells better, to enhanced cardiovascular health.
Indeed, the latest study to connect the benefits of vaping in ex-smokers to vascular health came from the University of Dundee, UK towards the end of 2019 – the largest clinical trial to date.
According to the researchers, there was “a clear early benefit” in the blood vessel function of long-term smokers who made the switch to vaping, a change witnessed within just four weeks of laying down the stick in favor of vape devices.
However, they too noted that this was not to be construed to mean vaping is 100% safe – it was just “less harmful” than smoking.
Their deductions basically reinforced the conclusions most studies over the years have pointed to: vaping may not be 100% safe, but it is a much better alternative to cigarettes.
Of course, vaping has not been around for decades to conclusively give it a clean bill of health, but so far so good.
The Caveat
However, we cannot overlook the negative headlines that have plagued the vape industry, most notably the lung illness outbreak witnessed in the US in 2019 that led to calls from some quarters to ban vaping for good.
Judging from the findings, though, what hasn’t escaped attention is that a lot of these lung-related issues were attributed to one thing in particular: bogus products sourced from questionable sources.
Counterfeiting is a big issue in the vaping sector, and cheap, low quality e-liquid in particular always carries an element of risk with it.
That’s because manufacturers of these products are either:
- Using low quality or dubious ingredients in their products or
- Trying to game the system by developing their products in unregulated facilities that do not adhere to the quality standards set by the regulating health bodies in their respective countries
For this reason, it is best practice to always purchase vape products from trusted manufacturers whose labs abide by the recommended health standards and have a zero-tolerance quality policy on their products.
So, Is Vaping Better than Smoking?
Yes, vaping is better than smoking, going by the litany of other advantages it holds over regular cigarettes in addition to the above.
In a nutshell, these include:
- No tar or carbon monoxide to worry about
- It does not leave off-putting odors on clothing, in the house, vehicle or other spaces
- Vaping does not pose the same fire risks as cigarettes, some of which have been traced to be the causes behind some wildfires
- Vaping is cheaper on the pocket too
There you have it!
