10 Benefits Of Vaping vs Smoking
3rd Oct 2022
Almost all of us know the dangers of smoking these days, and for good reason! It damages the airways of your lungs, irritating them and causing multiple diseases. Smoking in the UK is the leading cause of preventable death with decades of research to back up the danger it does to your health. With 12mg of nicotine in a vape kit equalling one cigarette on average while bearing a similar resemblance in stature and routine, the argument of which is better between vaping and smoking is often raised.
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1. It’s significantly better for your health
There’s a huge amount of misinformation out there around the safety of vaping, with a lot of people seeing vaping as just as, if not more dangerous than smoking, when
this is categorically not the case. Vaping is estimated to be 95% better for your health than smoking, and its effectiveness as a quitting aid means you’re more likely to succeed in cutting down or quitting, which is the biggest benefit of all.
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2. Vaping is much cheaper than smoking
Estimates show that
smoking 20 cigarettes a day will set you back, on average, £3000 per year. The average smoker in the UK smokes 10 cigarettes per day according to the most recent statistical data, so using that we can estimate that the average smoker spends around £1500 on cigarettes every year. This will, of course, be a bit different for everyone - the type of cigarettes you smoke, where you buy your cigarettes and all sorts of other factors come into it too. However, this is a good estimate for the average smoker.
It’s worth noting that vaping has more upfront costs than smoking - you need to buy your e-cigarette and any relevant accessories before you get started - but on an ongoing basis is considerably cheaper than smoking tobacco cigarettes.
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3. E-cigarettes are a really effective way to help you quit for goodAs we’ve mentioned, e-cigarettes are incredibly effective at helping smokers cut down or quit smoking for good. More than half of current smokers in the UK expressed a desire to quit, and the most common reason for using e-cigarettes is to help reduce or quit smoking tobacco, according to the most recent data from the ONS on smoking habits in the UK. Research also shows that vaping is almost twice as effective as traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) - this refers to things like nicotine gum, patches, nicotine pouches, lozenges, inhalers and other more “traditional” quitting aids. One study, in partnership with the NHS stop smoking service, found that among one group of smokers trying to quit, 18% of e-cigarette users had stopped smoking tobacco after one year, compared to only 9.9% of traditional NRT users. |
There are lots of reasons that vaping is so effective at helping smokers quit, and the nicotine rush is just one part of the overall experience. Vaping is so effective at helping you quit as it continues lots of the physical habits and cravings you build up without realising over months or years of smoking traditional cigarettes at less harm to yourself. Many smokers struggle with finding something to do with their hands once they’ve quit - vaping gives you just that!
4. Second-hand vapour is not as dangerous as second-hand smokeFor many years, the impact of second-hand smoking has been studied, and results show that smoking is and continues to be incredibly dangerous to not just smokers themselves, but those around them as well. The smoke that is exhaled from tobacco products contains more than 5000 chemicals and around 70 known carcinogens (cancer-causing ingredients). Second-hand smoke is so dangerous because it can be inhaled by other people, not just the smoker. In children, the effects of second-hand smoke can lead to:
In adults, second-hand smoke can
raise your risk of heart disease, lung cancer and strokes, among other conditions.
5. Vapour doesn’t linger like cigarette smokeStudies have shown that the vapour exhaled by e-cigarette users breaks down within seconds, without compromising the air quality even in a poorly ventilated room. Cigarette smoke, on the other hand, can last in the air for more than 30 minutes. While also exacerbating the effects of passive smoking, this also allows cigarette smoke to sink into furnishings and fabrics in a room, which is why many smokers find their walls, curtains, clothes and furniture stained or smelling of tobacco smoke after a while. As vapour disappears so quickly after being exhaled, this isn’t a concern for vapers. And with it often being a sweet fruity e-liquid smell that lingers, it’s much more pleasant in the atmosphere for you and others in the vicinity. |
6. There are many more vape flavours than tobacco
With the
ban of flavoured tobacco products in the EU in May 2020, there are now even fewer options available to smokers, while there is pretty much no limit to the flavours of e-liquid available, making the experience better for both vapers and those around them!
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7. You can use your vape in some places where you can’t smoke
There are currently
no plans to ban vaping indoors on the whole, as has been done with cigarettes, though lots of private companies lump e-cigarettes in with tobacco cigarettes, so depending on the rules where you are, you may or may not need to step outside to vape.
8. E-cigarettes don’t produce harmful chemicals when exhaledAs there are considerably fewer main ingredients in your vape compared to a tobacco cigarette, there are also considerably fewer compounds in the vapour that is exhaled! Most e-liquids only contain four main ingredients, a PG (propylene glycol) and VG (vegetable glycerin) base, nicotine and vape flavourings, all of which are deemed to be safe to consume. Tobacco cigarettes, on the other hand, contain more than 5000 chemicals when the smoke is exhaled. This means that vaping is much safer because you know more about what is in the e-liquid as a comparison to a cigarette. It’s not completely harmless but e-cigarettes offer less risk than smoking. |
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9. You can vape and smoke at the same timeAnother reason that vaping makes such a good quitting aid and one of the reasons it is so popular is that you don’t need to quit cold turkey! Many vapers take a combination approach, using vaping to help them cut down, while at work or when commuting, for example, but will continue to smoke at home, or vice versa. Then, over time, you can start to reduce your cigarette consumption across the board and hopefully transition to vaping full-time! This flexibility gives you a transition period to allow you to take your journey to become smoke-free at your own pace, ultimately making you more likely to succeed. |
10. Vaping is easier to cut down on over timeMost e-liquid ranges will give you a few different strength options to let you control your nicotine intake regularly. This means that you can gradually reduce your nicotine intake in a way that works for you, something that isn’t often possible with tobacco cigarettes. By taking your preferred nicotine concentration down bit by bit, you can more easily satisfy your cravings and start to reduce your intake overall, even vaping a 0mg nicotine kit, until you are completely smoke-free and no longer need to inhale from either! |