Do you want to quit smoking but still have nicotine cravings? Are you wondering whether vaping can help? Well, this guide is for you!
Due to the constant US vaping regulations, many people have misconceptions about e-cigarettes. However, worldwide authorities on health stand behind vaping as a safer alternative to smoking, and the studies that have compared vaping vs. smoking found the latter to be healthier.
If you are wondering who and what to believe, it’s best to rely on science. This guide will discuss everything you need about smoking and vaping, including facts, statistics, and the best solutions for reducing your nicotine intake.
What is The Difference Between Vaping and Smoking?
The main differences between smoking and vaping lie in how nicotine enters the body and the amount of nicotine you inhale. Vaping has a significant advantage in both.
When smokers light up the cigarette, the nicotine starts burning and turns into toxic smoke. This isn’t the case with vaping, as vaporizers don’t burn nicotine. Instead, they heat up e-juice up to the point of vaporizing.
Regarding nic percentage, a regular cigarette contains an average of 10 to 12 mg of nicotine. However, the smoke you inhale contains much less nicotine - around 1 to 2 mg. Vape juice nicotine percentage varies from 3 to 50mg/mL, with 12mg/mL being the most frequent.
However, one cartridge of vape liquid amounts to 5 packs of cigarettes. So, if your vape juice has less than 16mg/mL of nicotine, you will inhale less nicotine per puff than smoking. Some e-liquids have 0mg/mL nicotine, which is an excellent solution for those who want to eliminate nicotine altogether.
It’s important to note that the numbers we mentioned above vary depending on the vape/cigarette brand and the e-juice (in the case of vaping). So, one of the best beginner vaping tips for avoiding mishaps is carefully reading nicotine strengths before purchasing any product.
Is Vaping Safer Than Smoking?
It is safe to say that vaping is a healthier and safer option than smoking, albeit not completely harmless. One research conducted by the PHE (Public Health England) even showed that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than regular ones. This might seem like a ludicrously large percentage, but not when we compare the chemicals found in tobacco and e-liquid.
The truth is that regular cigarettes contain 7,000 more chemicals than e-liquid does, and many of them are harmful. In addition, e-juice doesn’t have most of the chemicals that cause smoking-related illnesses.
You might have heard of some cases where vapers got severe lung injuries. However, vaping itself wasn’t the reason behind them. Instead, the culprits were black market vaporizers and e-liquids.
So, even though vaping is safer than smoking, you should still pay special attention to the quality of your products. Next time you visit an online vape shop, look for reputable and licensed brands that only offer safety-tested and high-quality products.
Can I Use Vaping To Quit Smoking?
Yes, vaping is an excellent way to quit smoking. Some experts even encourage people to transition from tobacco to e-liquid to reduce their nicotine intake and other harmful substances.
If you are interested in more vaping facts, a 2021 study concluded that vaping could increase the chances of quitting smoking, as 28% of smokers who vaped daily quit smoking for good, and 45.5% quit daily smoking.
In addition, a 2019 study showed that out of all the people who used other nicotine replacement solutions like patches and gum, only 9% quit smoking altogether. This makes e-cigarettes the most effective way to quit smoking.
However, keep in mind that quitting is not easy, as 80% of smokers who fully transitioned to e-cigarettes continued vaping a year after. So, if you want to use vaping to quit smoking for good, you must follow specific steps.
For example, you need to choose an e-juice with nicotine strength that satisfies your cravings. Otherwise, you might start smoking again. After finding the right nic dosage, you can gradually reduce it by choosing e-liquids with more flavoring and less nicotine concentration.
Vaping Affects To Tongue vs. Smoking
Even though vaping is healthier than smoking, it can still harm your oral health. Take Vaper’s tongue, for example. Also known as Vaper’s fatigue, this refers to vapers losing taste and smell after overusing a vape juice.
Luckily, vapers’ fatigue goes away on its own after a few days, but it’s still proof that e-cigarettes can affect your oral health. Besides causing this uncanny phenomenon, vaping can prolong recovery after dental surgery and cause receding gums and tooth decay.
However, smoking is much more damaging to your tongue and oral health. Some of the major health-related issues that arise from smoking are:
- Teeth, tongue, and lip staining
- Weakening sense of taste
- Receding gums and tooth loss
- Prolonging recovery after oral surgery
- Reducing saliva production
- Bad breath
- Loss of bone jaw (rare)
- Oral cancer
Health Benefits of Smoking vs Vaping
A common thing you will read in any guide about vaping is that e-liquid is less harmful than cigarettes. Luckily, this isn’t a myth. Since vaping doesn’t fire up the e-juice and the nicotine, you don’t inhale toxic smoke. In addition, cigarettes contain additional substances, and most of them are harmful.
Some shocking statistics about the dangers of smoking are that cigarettes cause 90% of all lung cancer deaths, 80% of all chronic obstructive pulmonary disease deaths, and 480,000 deaths in the US annually.
It’s important to note that both vaping and smoking can damage your health. But even though vaping is not a healthy habit, to begin with, there are 3 major health benefits of choosing between vaping and smoking.
First, you will have fewer chances of developing severe smoking-related illnesses such as cancer, asthma, stroke, and heart disease. Second, you have a higher chance of reducing your nicotine intake or quitting nicotine altogether. Last but not least, vaping is not limited to nicotine.
Many people vape CBD oil to treat serious mental and physical illnesses such as epilepsy, insomnia, psychosis, and diabetes. Keep in mind that it’s best to consult your doctor before deciding to use CBD vaping as a treatment.
Is Vaping More Addictive Than Smoking?
Nicotine is a natural alkaloid contained in nightshade plants like the tobacco plant, and it’s the primary reason why people get addicted to smoking.
When a person smokes, nicotine enters the bloodstream within a few seconds and increases both adrenaline and dopamine, giving a buzz. But, after a few minutes, the buzzy feeling disappears, and smokers find themselves needing another hit.
Now, we already mentioned that vape juice could contain nicotine. So, unfortunately, the question of addiction applies to vaping as well. However, many studies show that vaping is not as addictive as smoking.
For example, a research done by London Southbank University concluded that more vapers than smokers would choose money over their favorite vaping product. In the case of serious addiction, addicts are ready to do everything to satisfy their needs. So, the study proves that smokers have a more complex connection to cigarettes than vapers have with vaping.
In addition, nicotine is not the one causing severe smoke-related illnesses. So, even though it gets people addicted to smoking, the other 7,000 chemicals found in cigarettes cause the most harm.
