Vaping advocates tout e-cigarettes as safer, healthier, and even less expensive alternatives to traditional cigarette smoking. On the other hand, vaping opponents claim that e-cigs are just as harmful as conventional cigarettes.
With so much contradicting information flying around, it’s often tricky for aspiring vapers to know where the truth lies. And without authority information at your fingertips, it’s easy to believe everything you read or hear. This post seeks to put light on some of the most common vaping myths and misconceptions.
1. Myth #1: Vaping is as harmful as cigarette smoking
This is probably the most common vaping myth out there. The myth is fueled by the growing number of established retail brands discontinuing the sale of e-cigarettes while continuing to offer traditional cigarette products. Examples of these brands include Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger, and Rite Aid.
Also, there have been many conflicting reports on vaping, such as this 2018 study appearing in the American Journal of Physiology, which seems to paint vaping in a bad light.
However, numerous comparative studies have established that vaping is way less harmful than cigarette smoking. That’s primarily because there’s no combustion involved in vaping. The lack of combustion also means that there’s no smoke produced or inhaled. Therefore, a vapor is exposed to minimal toxicity compared to a cigarette smoker.
2. Myth #2: Vaping products contain nicotine
Although initial vape oils were formulated to include nicotine as one of the primary ingredients, current e-juices do not necessarily contain nicotine. E-liquid manufacturers have largely replaced nicotine with other medically beneficial herbs, including kratom, cannabidiol (CBD), and tetrahydrocannabinol. There’s a growing number of cannabis users who are turning to vape, and understandably so. Numerous authority publications about CBD vaping claim that vaping delivers cannabidiol and other herbal extracts directly into your system. You may also like MXJO18650 Battery that works really well
Plus, vaping comes with higher bioavailability, which means that more of the compound gets into your bloodstream than the total amount vaped. However, there are still thousands of vape juices that contain nicotine as a primary ingredient. It all depends on what you’re looking for in an e-juice.
3. Myth #3: Vaping causes ‘popcorn lung.’
Many vaping opponents claim that e-cigarettes can cause ‘popcorn lung.’ Popcorn lung refers to a rare medical condition resulting from severe damage to a person’s bronchioles, leading to irreversible airway obstruction. Again, nothing can be further from the truth.
Many propagators of this myth take inspiration from a 2016 study by Harvard University, where researchers detected significant traces of the chemical diacetyl in a sample of vaping products. The name ‘popcorn lung’ originated from an outbreak of respiratory illnesses among workers in a microwave popcorn factory. It’s reported that these workers got exposed to high diacetyl levels, a chemical often used as a flavor enhancer.
However, it’s worth noting that this research didn’t explicitly link diacetyl to popcorn lung. Plus, the chemical is present in cigarettes at higher levels than those in e-cigarette products, yet cigarette smoking has never been linked to popcorn lung.
4. Myth #4: The vaping industry isn’t regulated
Vaping is a relatively new concept. As such, it’s intuitive to imagine that the industry is unregulated. But that’s not quite the case. In countries where the vaping craze has caught on, authorities have made substantial efforts to regulate the industry. Regulation primarily seeks to protect consumers from undue exploitation by unscrupulous traders while ensuring that manufacturers offer high-quality vape products. For Vaping, you can also try glass dab rigs which have been specialized for consuming waxes and concentrates.
In the United States, e-cigarettes are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of the FDA’s controlling mechanisms is the prohibition of selling e-cigs to persons under 18 years.
The FDA also requires all manufacturers to display a warning on nicotine-containing e-juices, clearly stating that the products contain nicotine and in what strength. Also, vape juice manufacturers, by law, have to submit their ingredient lists to the FDA for approval.
5. Myth #5: Vaping cannot help you quit smoking
The original idea behind vaping was to come up with a safer and healthier way to consume nicotine. And if recent studies are anything else, vaping has mostly lived up to its original intention. As you may already know, traditional cigarettes come with predetermined nicotine doses. That makes it difficult for smokers to dictate the amount of nicotine going into their system.
On the other hand, vape juices are available in varying nicotine strengths. Vapers get to choose their preferred strengths according to their nicotine tolerance. The fact that e-juices contain varying nicotine doses makes it easy for smokers to give up smoking without experiencing withdrawal symptoms. For instance, let’s assume you’re already used to smoking 100 mg of nicotine per day but have recently taken to vaping as a smoking-cessation aid.
Now, you could start by vaping 100 mg of nicotine for the first few days and then switch to e-liquids containing 80 mg of nicotine for the next couple of days. You can then proceed with this trend, reducing your daily nicotine consumption by 20 mg until you’re able to vape nicotine-free products.
6. Myth #6: All vaping products are the same
All vaping products are not made equal. Generally, the design of a vaporizer depends on what you intend to use it for. Many vape devices feature liquid cartridges. Such devices are suitable if used with e-liquids. However, particular types of vaporizers are intended for consuming other vape products, such as wax concentrates and dry herbs.
This knowledge is especially invaluable while shopping for your next vape attachment. The last thing you want is to buy a dry herb vaporizer when you’re used to vaping e-liquids. Similarly, vape juices, dry herbs, and wax concentrate contain different ingredients. So, it’s essential to know what a vape product has before buying it.
Conclusion
Vaping, unquestionably, has plenty of health benefits compared to traditional cigarette smoking. However, note that vaping also comes with inherent risks, including battery explosions and respiratory distress, which underscores the importance of vaping in moderation.
