Modified on: 06/12/2022
Vaping is not the same as smoking: here is why the e-cig can not be compared to the traditional cigarette
Electronic cigarette is an increasingly popular device among people who want to kick the smoking habit. However, one of the most frequent doubts among smokers trying to quit smoking thanks to the e-cig is the possible harm it could cause. In short, before resorting to vaping in an attempt to give up the analogue cigarette, it is more than legitimate to want to know whether inhaling tobacco liquids (but also fruity or creamy liquids) will harm your health.
In the following lines, you will find out how e-cigs work, what substances are inhaled by vaping and whether this practice is harmful, especially when compared to traditional smoking.
Vaping with or without nicotine: how the e-cigarette works
To understand why vaping has nothing to do with smoking, it is necessary to know how electronic cigarette works and what substances are inhaled during their use. It is a device with several components: a box (inside which there is a battery), an atomizer (with or without a tank), a heating element and a nozzle.
The working mechanism of the e-cig is rather elementary: inside the atomizer, there is an electrical resistance called a ‘coil’ into which a layer of cotton is inserted; the vaping liquids, which can be added little by little during vaping or stored in a tank, impregnate the cotton. When the device is activated, the battery transmits its electrical charge to the heating element, which evaporates the liquid in the cotton as it heats up. This vapour is then inhaled through the nozzle.
Reading this short and simple description, one thing cannot have escaped your notice: unlike the traditional cigarette, the electronic cigarette does not involve any combustion. However, although the inhalation process is different, you need to know what substances are introduced into your mouth and lungs when vaping and whether they have any harmful effects on your health.
Read also: Is propylene glycol in electronic cigarettes toxic? Let us shed light on this belief.
Is electronic cigarette harmful?
Electronic cigarette liquids contain various components that, when vaporized, end up in the vaper’s respiratory tract. The absence of combustion means that no harmful particles are introduced into the body; however, to determine whether e-cigs harm, it is necessary to learn more about the substances that make up the liquids.
The e-liquid base consists of two elements: propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG). Both substances have long been used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals and, leaving aside cases of allergies and overdose, pose no danger to health. Flavourings for vaping and, if the vaper so wishes, liquid nicotine is added to the neutral base.
The flavourings are of food origin and, regardless of whether they are organic or synthetic, do not harm the body. Nicotine, unfortunately, is a harmful substance as it is not only addictive (it is the main cause of smoking) but causes effects such as increased blood pressure and heart rate, nausea, vasodilation, and hypotension.
However, the presence of this harmful substance in liquids is optional.
What is more harmful between the electronic cigarette and the analogue cigarette
Putting smoking and vaping on the same level, or even juxtaposing them, is completely inappropriate. Traditional cigarettes cause millions of deaths worldwide every year due to the toxic and carcinogenic substances released during combustion (cyanide and arsenic are among them). Not to mention a large amount of nicotine they contain that ends up in smokers’ bloodstreams.
The electronic cigarette, on the other hand, only allows you to inhale the substances mentioned above, which—as we have seen—do not appear to cause any short-term damage. Apart from nicotine, of course. It must be said, however, that in vaping liquids, it is possible to dose the amount of nicotine. This is a factor that helps smokers who opt for vaping to try to quit smoking progressively.
Of course, there is still a lack of evidence as to the possible long-term effects of vaping, but since electronic cigarette has only recently started to spread, this is quite normal. As things stand, however, vaping is estimated to reduce health risks by around 90% compared to traditional smoking.
Read also: How to choose the ideal atomizer to meet your needs
In conclusion
If you have read this article, it will finally become clear to you that there is still no certainty that vaping is a 100% healthy activity, but at least it is known to be significantly less harmful than smoking. In Terpy‘s online shop, you can buy quality liquids, flavours, and nicotine bases at bargain prices.
Click here to discover Terpy’s flavours!
