GIving up smoking is never easy but studies have shown that about 70% of smokers would like to quit the habit. The usual avenues to quitting are nicotine patches, gums, and cold turkey.
The move towards vaping and away from tobacco products is leading the industry to look at emerging markets for further growth. Other countries though are resolutely sticking with tobacco production.
The biggest tobacco growing nation in the world is China. And this country has several restrictions on e-cigarettes. Perhaps then, this is why over 25% of the population still smokes tobacco compared to the US where just 12.5% smoke.
It would appear then, that where vape pens are legal, it is possible that they are a preferred choice for smokers, but does this make them the smarter option?
Why is vaping a smarter choice than smoking tobacco?
The development and advances in vaping technology have helped to create a popular industry today. And ecommerce has made vaping accessible to anyone of legal age who has the internet.
A quick search on https://red-vape.ch shows how varied the product range has become for e-cigarettes and juice. Vapes have become smaller, and there are numerous brands now. One of the reasons that vaping is seen as more acceptable than smoking is to do with health.
Fewer toxins and harsh chemicals
No one should recommend that a non-smoker start to vape as there would be no health benefits. But, anyone who switches from cigarettes to a vape could see some improvements to their general well-being.
There is far less exposure to toxins when using a vape compared to regular cigarettes, and this could mean you would have less risk of heart disease or lung cancer. However, e-cigarettes carry some health concerns affecting the user’s lungs and heart.
Nevertheless, the FDA approved marketing for e-cigarettes in 2021, with some restrictions regarding flavored products, due to the potential benefits of smokers switching to vaping.
Vapes might help with smoking cessation
Smoking cessation was an important part of why the FDA has allowed some e-cigarettes to be advertised, but more research needs to be carried out. Indeed, studies into how much switching to vaping can help a smoker quit are somewhat muddled.
The UK’s National Health Service has reported that they believe vaping could help smokers to quit. One 2021 study proved that on-on-on support coupled with e-cigarettes was twice as effective as using nicotine gum or patches.
There is less stigma surrounding vapes than tobacco products
The days of being able to smoke on planes and in movie theaters are long gone. Cigarettes were once a feature in Hollywood movies and were seen as glamorous, but now, they are viewed as a smelly, unhealthy, and expensive habit.
Today, the tobacco industry is unable to advertise as freely as they once enjoyed. And the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms restricts the use of certain words and content. The ATF even banned one word; ‘refreshing’ from ads.
Vaping on the other hand has none of the problems with the odor associated with cigarettes, and there is no ash to flick on the floor, or cigarette butts to dispose of.
It could help improve a committed smoker’s health
Cutting down on smoking can see almost immediate improvements in physical health. Either using both vape and cigarettes or switching to e-cigarettes completely, will help improve a number of areas including lung function and lower blood pressure.
A non-smoker however will not get any health benefits from taking up a vape and may become addicted to nicotine, and face further health problems in the future.
Environmental effects
This is a tricky one because both vaping and tobacco smoking harms the environment. It is believed that there are around 4.5 trillion discarded cigarette butts in the world, slowly decomposing. Because cigarette filters are made from plastic it takes them up to 10 years to actually degrade.
This has led the FCTC to assess tobacco’s global environmental footprint and make recommendations to reduce it. However, e-cigarettes are not entirely eco-friendly either. Refillable vape pens can be used over and over, and these will cause far less waste than cigarette smoking. But, one-use vapes are clogging up landfills and causing environmental concerns.
One-use disposable vapes contain lithium batteries which can leak and leach chemicals into the earth, and the casing is made from plastic which won’t biodegrade.
Summary
If you are a smoker then there will be some benefits to switching to an e-cigarette. It may even help you to stop smoking completely in time. Of course, there are no health benefits when a non-smoker starts vaping, but e-cigarettes are a smarter choice when compared to tobacco.
To fully benefit from using vape pens instead of cigarettes though, you should avoid disposable options. At least then you will cause less harm to the planet, as well as your health.
