Electronic Cigarette Health Facts - What You Need to Know

in general 29 July 2016

Electronic Cigarette Health Facts - What You Need to Know

Research into e-cigarettes and their health risks and benefits has lagged far behind their popularity, although it’s a well-known fact that you will be less susceptible to the long term health damage caused by smoking conventional cigarettes by switching to an e-cig. However, some scientists argue that there is little difference between smoking conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes when it comes to health risks, and although the risks may not be exactly the same, they are still there. Others acknowledge that there are some health risks involved with smoking e-cigarettes, however they are fewer and less serious than the risks involved with tobacco smoking, making e-cigs therefore a safer alternative. If you’re trying to quit smoking and are considering getting an e-cigarette as a quit aid, read on to learn about the various health risks of doing so. 

Allergies

As with any chemicals that you put in your body, there is the potential that you may be or become allergic to an ingredient in your e-cigarette e-liquid. The main ingredient that many vapers become allergic to is Propylene Glycol (PG) which is a fairly common ingredient used in many cosmetics as well as in e-liquids. Some vapers report side effects such as rashes, itchiness and/or a sore throat which can be the result of an allergy to PG. However, there is a way to get around this by switching to e-liquids that are 100% Vegetable Glycerin (VG), a much safer ingredient with fewer chemicals involved. 100% VG liquids, however, are a lot harder to find on the high street, so you may need to look online. 

Teenagers and Children

Although legally you’re not allowed to vape or buy vaping equipment until you are at least eighteen years of age, recent years have seen more and more teenagers and children take up vaping. Although parents might be happy that their child has chosen to vape rather than smoke, it must be noted that the e-liquid in e-cigarettes does still contain nicotine, which is the addictive drug that causes so many smokers to find it hard to quit. If your child has started vaping and it’s difficult to convince them to stop, you may wish to consider getting 0mg e-liquids which you can buy here or e-liquids that don’t contain any nicotine to ensure that they don’t become addicted. 

Nicotine Content

More and more people are taking up vaping as a hobby rather than a quit aid, and this is quite worrying as the vast majority of e-liquids do contain nicotine, although some are available which do not. E-cigarettes have been proven as a useful tool for those who wish to quit smoking conventional cigarettes, however if you don’t smoke already, you shouldn’t take up vaping as you’ll end up just as addicted to the nicotine as a conventional smoker would be. 

What are your thoughts on the health benefits and risks of e-cigarettes? Whether you love them or hate them we’d love to hear from you, please click here to email us and will add your comments below.



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