There is an increasingly popular debate right now about the safety of vaping compared to smoking. Today, more people are using vaping as a smoking cessation tool and a safer alternative. However, experts still raise concerns regarding the safety of vaping. If you are one of those caught in this debate, this article examines the difference between vaping and smoking and some facts about them. 

1. Vaping doesn’t involve combustion.

The big difference between vaping and smoking is that vaping doesn’t involve burning tobacco. Instead, the vaping device produces an aerosol that you inhale. The vaporizer uses a stream of heated air to vaporize the active ingredients in cannabis without combustion. 

The lack of combustion means there is no tar from vaping, making it a safer alternative to cigarettes. During vaping, you heat a liquid until it turns into clean vapor without smoke. You will get the nicotine delivered to the brain alongside flavorings, glycerol, propylene, and acetone. This lack of tar makes vaping easier on the lungs. 

2. You can reduce nicotine intake through vaping.

Both traditional cigarettes and vaping devices use nicotine as the primary agent. It is a toxic substance and highly addictive with the risk of increasing your heart rate. Overdosing on nicotine can also be dangerous because of its toxic nature. 

In cigarette smoking, you can’t easily control the amount of substance you take in a single puff. This can be dangerous as you subject your lungs to harsh smoke and chemicals.

Luckily, vaping allows you to control how much nicotine you take in the e-liquid to reduce its impact. You can regulate the e-liquid to minimize the amount of nicotine you take in a single session. It’s also possible to buy the liquid or pod refills without nicotine, though these devices are harder to find. For example, you can shop for Vaporesso xros pod kit online that delivers less nicotine. The vaping devices allow you to select the right strength of the liquid that satisfies your needs. 

3. Smoking can cause lung cancer.

Cigarette smoking has a higher risk of causing lung cancer. When you inhale the smoke created by burning tobacco, you expose the lungs to harmful chemicals and toxins in the smoke. Reports of lung cancer from constant cigarette smoking exist all over the world.

During cigarette smoking, you directly burn the tobacco and inhale smoke into the lungs. You can double the risk of premature death with chain-smoking, as the irritative effects of smoke affect the blood vessel walls.

In contrast, there are no documented cases of people diagnosed with cancer because of vaping. Researchers are yet to determine the long-term effects of vaping on the lungs with fewer health risks. Therefore, vaping doesn’t directly cause lung cancer, and there are fewer death cases from using vaporizers.

4. Tobacco kills half its users.

According to World Health Organization data, over 8 million people die every year from tobacco use. This is about half of the tobacco users. Over seven million deaths from tobacco are attributed to direct tobacco use, including tobacco-related deaths such as cancers, lung disease, heart disease, and stroke. 

Tobacco is a significant threat to the lung health of everyone and not just smokers. It is also a contributing factor to other lung diseases such as tuberculosis and asthma. Over half of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cases are related to tobacco use. For example, one in five smokers will develop COPD in their lifetime. Fortunately, every single death related to tobacco use or exposure is preventable. Switching to vaping is one way to reduce the impact of tobacco.

5. Vaping exposes users to fewer toxins. 

 

Vaping has fewer toxicants than smoking since you don’t directly burn the compounds. The e-liquid in vaping devices contains few contaminants that are less harmful than smoking. This means you inhale fewer chemicals, and the danger brought by the toxicants is controlled. 

When you vape, it imparts a lighter flavor and reduced odor than smoking. The vapor also diffuses more quickly than smoke from a joint. Many cases of lung injuries from Vaping affect people who modify their devices. 

In contrast, a person who smokes inhales about 7000 chemicals in a single puff, many of which are toxic. Cigarettes also contain toxins such as tar that can harm your body. These toxins are much higher than vaping, which doesn’t pose a similar danger. 

6. Vaping is as addictive as smoking.

Both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is an ingredient that can lead to addiction. This is why many people who smoke or vape find it challenging to stop.

The nicotine addiction from vaping is significantly higher among teens, with adolescents more likely to get addicted to nicotine. 

Therefore, you are likely to be as addicted to vaping as you are to smoking. When you inhale vapor laced with nicotine, it quickly absorbs through the blood vessels lining and reaches the brain in about 10 seconds. This creates a feel-good feeling and trains the brain to repeat the action. Similar to vaping, decades of cigarette smoking make the nicotine cravings more intense.

7. Vaping can harm your heart and lungs.

While smoking appears to be more harmful than Vaping, it doesn’t make vaping safe. It is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes but still has harmful effects. For example, lung injury is becoming more common in users of vaping products. Some people report chest pain, shortness of breath, and coughing because of vaping-induced lung injury. 

You can still inhale substances that can harm your lungs when you vape. Therefore, it is advisable against chain vaping as it puts your health at risk. Many lung injury cases come from people who get their vaping equipment from unlicensed shops. You can avoid lung injury by getting a quality vape device.

Vaping is dangerous to young people because it can affect brain development and is highly addictive. It is also not safe for women who are pregnant.

Bottom line

While it’s not entirely harmless, vaping is less harmful than smoking. It has fewer toxins compared to cigarette smoking and thus exposes you to fewer risks. Both vaping and cigarette smoking have their risks and side effects, with scientists yet to understand the long-term effects of e-cigarettes. You can therefore use vaping as a smoking cessation tool to kick out the smoking habit.