7 Common Misconceptions People Make About Vaping
By Zoe P.
Vaping has become a cultural phenomenon in the last few years, but there are still a lot of misconceptions surrounding the practice and the ingredients that go into a vaporizer. Some of these misconceptions may have arisen due to people not wanting it to increase in popularity, others may just be down to people being misinformed and uneducated on the topic. Here are 7 of the most common misconceptions that people make when it comes to vaping.
- Vaping is just as harmful as smoking cigarettes
Some cigarettes contain a blend of over 50 different chemicals, some of them being known carcinogens. But, there are usually only just a few ingredients in e-juices, depending on the specific flavor, and the only one known to be remotely harmful to humans is nicotine. Some blends are even nicotine free, but those that are not typically only have around one-third, or less, of the chemical than a regular cigarette. Although the full effects that vaping may have on the body are yet to be fully reported, the lack of toxic ingredients evidence exactly why it is far less harmful.
- The vaping industry is completely unregulated
Everything from the vaporizers themselves to the ingredients that go into your e-juice is regulated either by federal/state laws or by the industry itself. Though some people might look suspiciously upon self-regulation, it benefits the manufacturers to create stringent safeguards before lawmaker action takes place in order to keep consumers safe.
- e-Cigarettes and vape pens are the same thing
Your standard e-cigarette comes in a few different flavors, requiring new cartridges in order to refill the juice. They are not generally adjustable and produce comparatively little vapor. However, an actual vape pen is a much more powerful tool that can be used to regulate exactly how much vapor you want produced, and it gives you the chance to customize the types of flavor you want to experience.
Both e-Cigarettes and vape pens can be purchased online, however when it comes to physical stores, it can be harder to find a vape pen compared to an e-cig. E-Cigarettes can commonly be found at gas stations and grocery stores, but your chances of finding a vape pen may be slightly reduced. Vape shops exist mainly to service customers who use vaporizers, with little need to carry miniature e-cigarettes that give them little in the way of flavor, choice or utility.
- Almost nobody knows what goes into e-juice
It is extremely easy to find out what goes into e-juice since the main ingredients are propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin and nicotine, all readily available on the internet. The final tiny amounts of ingredients are specific to the flavor but are basically the same things that go into food for taste.
- Second-hand vapor is just as bad as second-hand smoke
The aforementioned chemicals that go into a cigarette are the main culprits behind the unhealthiness of second-hand smoke. What you exhale while vaping is basically just water vapor, which is not harmful at all. That being said, few people enjoy smoke or vapor being blown in their face, but it is not the public health hazard that some have made it out to be.
- Vaporizers are being marketed to teenagers
Cigarettes used to be marketed to teenagers 40 years ago, but it obviously ended up being bad for the industry and society as a whole. These lessons are at the forefront of the vaping industry’s mind, especially since vaping is much safer than cigarettes. Some teenagers may choose to vape, but the industry has a vested interested in keeping vaporizers out of the hands of those too young to fully understand their choices.
- Vaping does nothing to help you quit cigarettes
The nicotine content in cigarettes is generally higher than in most e-juices. For some smokers, the oral fixation cigarettes used to satisfy are fixed with a vaporizer and the lower nicotine content helps to reduce their body’s dependency on the chemical. So if you’re wanting to quit without dropping the nicotine altogether, vaping may be the perfect solution.
Combating these common misconceptions is important since the vast majority of the general public do not vape and only know about it through (potentially biased) news sources. Letting people know that vaping is not the monster it is made out to be can lead to an expansion of the industry, giving customers more choices and lower prices.