BUSTING VAPING MYTHS

More than half of smokers within the UK now wrongly believe that e-cigarettes containing nicotine are as dangerous as tobacco cigarettes, according to reports. This isn't the only myth surrounding vaping - from popcorn lungs to passive vaping, we've heard it all. So we're addressing the most common misconceptions surrounding e-cigarettes so you can be confident in your decision to vape.

First of all, let’s address the statement ‘e-cigarettes containing nicotine are as dangerous as tobacco’...

E-cigarette aerosol contains much fewer toxic chemicals than the deadly mix of 7,000 chemicals in smoke from a regular cigarette - making it a safer alternative to smoking. Vaping has also been declared 95% less harmful than smoking by Public Health England. 

Health concerns are the biggest criticisms of vaping, and there have been reports which link vaping to deaths and long-term health issues which have caused further agenda for anti-vapers. But in fact, many reports fail to mention contributing factors such as contaminated or unlicensed vape devices which like most unregulated products, can be deadly.

The Popcorn Lung Myth...

Have you also heard that vaping gives you popcorn lungs? Popcorn lung is an uncommon type of lung disease. As serious as this disease is, there have been no cases among those who vape - so we are debunking this myth.

This myth isn't completely baseless as some e-liquids previously contained the chemical diacetyl which causes popcorn lung. However, this stresses the importance of purchasing from an approved retailer as this chemical was regulated under UK law in 2016. 

Our e-liquids are fully licensed and TPD-approved, so you won't have to worry about popcorn lung.

Next is Passive Inhalation...

We can see why passive inhalation this would be a major concern as second-hand smoking can cause acute lower respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, especially among children. However, this is not the same for vaping, simply due to the fact that no side-stream vapour is emitted by an e-cigarette, posing little health risk for those who passively inhale.

If you're worried about the effect vapour may have on the quality of air indoors or outdoors, rest assured. Research shows that unlike smoking, cooking or even burning candles, vaping has little to no effect on the air quality.

Is Vaping a Gateway to Smoking?

We’re aware of the concern that e-cigarettes may act as a gateway to smoking among the youth, and we want to debunk this myth with a study published by Public Health England:

- Most young people who have never smoked had also never vaped

- Of the 11-18 year olds who vaped, 11.9% reported doing so to quit smoking

This study proves that e-cigarettes are effective for helping quit tobacco not just amongst the adult population, but can also tackle smoking among the youth. 

Of course, PHE continue to monitor vaping and smoking amongst young people whilst every vape retailer, including ourselves, have a duty to ensure enforcement of age of sale regulations.

Now we've busted the most common vape myths, we want to hear some other vape myths you've heard in the comments section below.