This blog aims to highlight the differences between vaping e-cigarettes and smoking traditional cigarettes. I will attempt to be objective throughout, although this may not be possible once the discussion leads to the benefits and harms of both smoking and vaping!
Let’s start by defining both.
Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol, often referred to as vapour, which is produced by a vaping device. How is the vapour produced? Well, a heating element in the device vaporises a liquid which contains nicotine, polypropylene glycol and flavourings. Essentially this is what creates the clouds!
Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco. Cigarettes are tobacco products that contain dried leaves of the tobacco plant. These leaves are rolled up in paper and smoked. In addition to tobacco, cigarettes usually contain hundreds of other chemicals including tar and carbon monoxide. How to smoke? Well, you light the end of the cigarette that is uncovered and inhale the smoke into your lungs.
Now that we have a brief understanding of both vaping and smoking, let’s look at the key differences between the two. Smoking tobacco is a leading cause of death worldwide. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoking is responsible for the death of more than 7 million people each year! Tobacco smoking is linked to numerous health conditions including cancer, lung disease and heart disease.
Vaping does not come without risks, but they are far lower than those associated with smoking tobacco. This is because when you vape, you are not inhaling the hundreds of harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. In fact, many of the chemicals found in cigarettes are actually added during manufacturing, making the smoke more harmful!
Dear cigarette smokers and tobacco users, time to become smoke-free?! Ready for the switch to e-cigarettes? Read on. Let’s compare!
1. The Level of Harmful Chemicals
When it comes to cigarettes, it is the combustion of tobacco that releases harmful chemicals into the smoker’s lungs. These chemicals have been linked to a variety of health conditions, including cancer. In contrast, when you vape, there is no combustion involved. This means that you are not inhaling the hundreds of harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke. In fact, many of the chemicals found in cigarettes are added during manufacturing, making the smoke more harmful!
2. The Risks to Your Health
Cigarette smoking is responsible for a variety of health risks, including cancer, lung disease and heart disease. These risks are largely due to the hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke. In contrast, vaping does not come without risks, but they are far lower than those associated with smoking tobacco. This is because when you vape, you are not inhaling the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. The vapour that is exhaled has significantly less molecules than a tobacco cigarette because your vape contains significantly fewer key constituents than a cigarette! The majority of e-liquids only have four primary components that are all considered safe to ingest: a base made of PG (propylene glycol) and VG (vegetable glycerin), nicotine, and vape flavourings. Contrarily, the smoke exhaled from tobacco cigarettes contains more than 5000 compounds. As a result, vaping is far safer than smoking because you are more aware of what is in the e-liquid. While not fully risk-free, e-cigarettes present less of a threat than smoking.
3. The Cost
Cigarette smoking can be an expensive habit, especially if you smoke regularly. For example, a 20-pack of Benson & Hedges Gold today will cost around £15 at your local supermarket. If you are a somewhat established smoker (one who smokes a pack a day or around half a pack a day) your weekly cost can get very close to £100! In contrast, vaping is generally much cheaper than smoking tobacco. This is because you can buy e-liquid in bulk and save money in the long run. More relevant to today’s market, disposable vapes are very satisfying to the user due to the cost-effective and hassle-free experience that they offer. An Elf Bar 600, for example, costs £3.79 at VapeBud. Even if you went through one Elf Bar 600 a day, you are still better off compared to smoking cigarettes just by considering the cost. As some would say, it’s a no-brainer!
It should be noted that although vaping has higher initial costs than smoking — you must purchase an e-cigarette and any necessary attachments before you can start — it is significantly less expensive overall than smoking tobacco cigarettes. We estimate that you can pay roughly £30 upfront for a mid-range beginner-friendly device, and additional accessories like replacement coils and batteries will cost about £90 annually. When opposed to smoking, vaping has a drastically lower recurring cost once your bulk purchase is complete. E-liquids are available for practically any budget, starting at less than £5 for 10ml. As you can see from the information that I gathered that it is best to stop smoking and start vaping just like me!
4. The Taste
Okay, so there really cannot be any debate on this. Anyhow, many smokers enjoy the taste of tobacco smoke. However, some smokers find the taste of cigarette smoke to be unpleasant, especially once they have smoked a few too many in a day. In contrast, vaping offers a variety of different flavour options, so you can choose the one that best suits your taste. Plus with the different vape devices, varying coil resistances, multiple flavour mixes and the 100s of brands that offer them all – you are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a fantastic flavour that you can enjoy on a day-to-day basis. Another advantage of vaping over smoking, most definitely relevant to the topic of taste, is that the taste won’t linger in your mouth. This is great! Why? Well, for starters, when you go back to your desk at the office or when you go inside your home after a few draws of vaping, nobody will be able to smell it from your mouth when you start conversing with them!
5. The Smell
Cigarette smoke leaves a lingering smell on clothes, hair, furniture and your hands! In contrast, vaping generally produces little to no smell. This is because the vapour produced by e-cigarettes dissipates quickly and does not stick to clothes or furniture as cigarette smoke does. Moreover, due to the awesome flavours available today, one may even comment on how good your vapour smells.
6. The Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is the smoke exhaled by a smoker, as well as the smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette. Secondhand smoke is harmful to both smokers and nonsmokers. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for lung cancer, heart disease, and other respiratory illnesses. You must have heard of passive smoking! Well, this secondhand smoke is what causes passive smoking. In contrast, when you vape, there is no secondhand smoke! This is because the vapour produced by e-cigarettes dissipates quickly and does not stick to clothes or furniture as cigarette smoke does.
7. The Environment
Cigarette butts are one of the most common forms of litter. It is estimated that 4.5 trillion cigarette butts become litter every year. Cigarette butts can take up to 12 years to decompose. This means that every butt that is thrown on the ground will still be there in 2030! With vaping, there is the more recent issue of disposing of disposable vapes (a bit of a mouthful, I know!). There are ways to dispose of disposable vapes, although not the easiest or most convenient of methods.
8. The Convenience
Smoking cigarettes can be quite a hassle, especially when you have to go outside in the cold or in the rain to have a smoke. In comparison, vaping can be done indoors with no hassle at all. You can vape pretty much anywhere that you want to, provided that it is legal to do so. This is great for when you are at home and do not want to go outside to have a smoke.
9. The Performance
Smoking cigarettes can affect your physical performance, especially if you are a smoker. Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, which can reduce the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry. This can lead to a decrease in physical performance. In contrast, vaping does not affect your physical performance.
10. The social aspect
Smoking cigarettes can be quite a social activity. However, not everyone enjoys smoking cigarettes. This can be a bit of a problem if you are trying to enjoy a night out with your friends who do not smoke. With vaping, there is no need to worry about this issue. Vaping is becoming increasingly popular and accepted in society. This means that you will not have any problems enjoying a night out with your friends, regardless of whether or not they smoke cigarettes.
Vaping certainly has its advantages over smoking cigarettes. Whether or not these advantages are enough to convince you to switch from smoking cigarettes to vaping is up to you. I hope that this article has helped you to understand the benefits of vaping over smoking cigarettes.
The benefits of stopping smoking:
- You’ll have more money
- You’ll smell better
- Your clothes and furniture won’t smell like smoke
- You’ll have whiter teeth
- You won’t get sick as often
- Your lungs will be healthier
Smoking cigarettes, due to the many potentially harmful chemicals they contain, can cause many health risks and can lead to numerous problems. Below I have mentioned just some of the issues you can face with cigarettes as well as tobacco smoke:
- Lung Damage – Lung cancer risk has significantly increased as a result of smoking cigarettes. For men, this risk is 25 times higher than for women, it is 25.7 times higher.
- Heart Disease – Also known as Cardiovascular Disease. Cigarette smoking can harm blood arteries, the heart, and blood cells. The tar and chemicals in conventional cigarettes can make someone more susceptible to atherosclerosis, or the accumulation of plaque in the blood arteries. This accumulation restricts blood flow and may cause harmful obstructions.
- Fertility Problems – Smoking can harm a woman’s reproductive system and make it more challenging for the woman to become pregnant. This could occur as a result of the hormone-altering effects of tobacco and other substances in cigarettes.
- Weakened immune system – A person’s immune system can get weakened by smoking, which increases their susceptibility to disease. Additionally, it might increase existing inflammation in the body.
- Poor oral hygiene – Smokers have a twofold increased chance of developing gum disease. The more cigarettes a person smokes, the greater the risk. This is what you get when you have a habit of smoking something which is proven to contain toxic chemicals!
Electronic Cigarettes – The Prime Substitute to Cigarette Smoking?
Certainly! There is a heck of a lot of false information out there about the safety of vaping, and many people mistakenly believe that it is just as deadly as smoking, if not more so. The biggest advantage of all is that vaping is thought to be 95% healthier for you than smoking, and it works well as a quitting aid so you’re more likely to succeed in cutting down or quitting.
E-liquids don’t remain in the body like tar in the lungs does when you smoke cigarettes and have significantly fewer chemicals than cigarette smoke. Within about a month, people who switch to vaping experience several positive health effects, including lower blood pressure, easier breathing, increased immunological function, improved senses of taste and smell, and improved lung function.
Compared to cigarette smoking, vaping offers many benefits. Nicotine addiction certainly comes to mind, which vaping also deals with! Not only can e-cigarettes provide a way to satisfy nicotine cravings without all the harmful side effects of smoking, but they can also be used as a tool for quitting smoking altogether. Vaping devices are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, making them easy to use and discreet enough to carry with you on the go. Thanks to recent advances in technology, they now offer flavours like mint, fruit, chocolate, and more that help mask the taste of nicotine and make it easier to wean yourself off cigarettes.
Whether you’re a current smoker or someone who’s trying to quit, vaping is a great option that can help you take control of your health and enjoy a happier, healthier lifestyle. So if you’re ready to make the switch from smoking to vaping, check out the wide selection of devices and flavours available online today! With that being said, it is still important to be cautious when using any vaping device and to always buy from a reputable source. This is because some sub-ohm vaping devices can pose a fire risk if not used correctly. Additionally, always check that your coils are compatible with your device and do not over-tighten them. If you are unsure about anything, it is always best to seek professional advice from a vaping expert.
Vaping does not come without its risks. However, research suggests that vaping is a much safer alternative to traditional tobacco products. A study conducted by Public Health England in 2015 found that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than combustible cigarettes. In addition, a report by the Royal College of Physicians in 2016 found that vaping poses only a small fraction of the risks of smoking.
Vaping is safer than tobacco smoke, cigarettes, smoking cigars or whatever else it is that one would like to smoke! I have been a vape user for numerous years and I can tell you that you will be saving a lot of money when using e-cigarettes. So what are you waiting for? Quit smoking and start vaping today!
At VapeBud you will find amazing deals so there’s no other place to look for your vaping needs.
Be like me and start vaping today!