Weighing The Pros And Cons Of Vaping

Posted on Jun 7 2017 - 7:47am by Editorial Staff

Electronic vaporization, better known as vaping, is a fast growing industry. It involves inhaling vapor from a vaporizer, an electric, cigarette-like device. And inside the device is a chemical e-liquid that produces the vapor. Presenting itself as a healthy alternative to tobacco products has made vaping popular with the youth. It is even more popular among cigarette smokers keen on kicking the habit. Nevertheless, for all its benefits, vaping has its drawbacks as well. For this reason, this article weighs both the pros and cons of this new industry. We will start with the pros.

Pros

No Smell or Stains

Smokers are the only ones who seem to love the smell of cigarettes. To everyone else, the smell is repulsive. Even more repulsive is its tendency cling to clothes or furniture and to linger in a room or car long after a smoker leaves.But perhaps worst of all are the stains. Cigarettes and cigars produce tar deposits, which stain teeth, furniture, and any surface on which you deposit them. However, the chemicals used in vape juice are both tar- and odor-free.

A Healthy Alternative to Smoking

Cigarette packages come with health warning labels for a reason. According to scientific evidence, smoking cigarettes and cigars may be harmful to your health. Not only can the habit be addictive, but it can also cause cancer or complicate a pregnancy. Vaping, on the other hand, has none of these negative health effects.

Fighting Nicotine Addiction

To break a smoking habit, you need two things. One, of course, is a healthy alternative to smoking as mentioned above. The other is something that breaks the oral fixations associated with cigarette addiction.Vaping meets these two criteria – it is healthy and, more importantly, it satisfies your oral fixations. Yes, some vaping liquids contain nicotine, but others are nicotine free to help you kick your smoking habit.

Vaping is Affordable

Smoking is an expensive habit. If you do not believe it, take a look at the figures. A pack of smokes costs about $5.50 in the United States. If you smoke one a day, you incur a $2,000 bill every year. In the same light, two packs a day will cost you $4,000 during a similar period, and three packs $6,000.

In contrast, electronic vaporizers are affordable. After you get a $30 starter kit, you only need a 15ml bottle of vape juice, which costs $10 to $15. Better still, the bottle is equivalent to a carton of cigarettes, which costs $70 to $125.

As a former pack-a-day smoker, you use about two to three bottles a month, or $30 to $45. As a result, your annual bill drops from $2,000 to between $360 and $540. You end up saving $1460 to $1640 per year.

More Variety and Customization

Unlike cigarettes, which all look alike, vaporizers come in many forms. Some are simple and look like cigarettes or cigars while others have fancy designs that make a statement. And then there are those that light up or play sounds when you use them.

Vape juice, which is just as varied and customizable, also comes in many types and flavors. While some types of juice have nicotine, others are nicotine-free. You can even select the amount of nicotine you want in your juice. As for the flavors, they range from berry to coffee among others.

Cons

Unknown Health Risks

Despite thorough testing, no one can predict all the negative effects of a new technology. More often than not, some unknown effects present themselves a few years into production. The same applies to vaporizers and vape juice for a few reasons.For one, vaping as a whole is not are not as strictly regulated as the tobacco industry. As a result, vape juice manufacturers often include many untested chemicals in their formulas. One such chemical is propylene glycol, the base for most vape juices. To date, no one knows the potential side effects of breathing in this compound. In addition, the side effects of breathing in second-hand vapor full of this compound are not yet clear.

Dizziness and a Dry Mouth

If you ingest too much juice, and it happens to contain nicotine, you will experience some dizziness. After all, nicotine is a known stimulant. However, this side effect is not unique to vaping. Cigarette smokers who over indulge in their habit also experience it.Over indulging can also result in a dry mouth. So, if you get a dizzy spell when vaping, put down your vaporizer and take a breather. For a dry mouth, simply drink some water.

Allergic Reactions

To make the many flavors found in vape juice, manufacturers use extracts from nuts, berries, and fruits among others. These extracts are then dissolved in a base chemical, such as vegetable glycerin or, more commonly, propylene glycol.

If you are allergic to any of these extracts or chemicals, you will have an allergic reaction. What’s worse, you might not be aware that you are allergic to a compound until you react to it. This can make vaping a dangerous experience, especially if your allergic reaction is severe. So, when you notice any reaction to a flavor or brand, change to another.

Potential for Misuse

Some individuals replace the vape juice in their vaporizers with intoxicants or narcotic substances. Although this is not how manufacturers intend such devices to be used, the potential for their misuse is still present. Unfortunately, there is little the manufacturers can do to stop this misuse. The decision on how to use a vaporizer is up to you.

Burns and Battery Explosions

An improperly sealed vaporizer can leak hot juice onto a user’s hands or lips, resulting in chemical burns. Also, the battery on a poorly manufactured device can explode and cause burns to the face or damage to the teeth. Although burns and explosions are rare occurrences, a few such incidents have been reported.

Conclusion

Vaping has many benefits. For starters, vaping is first of all stain and odor free. It is also a healthy alternative to smoking that can help to fight nicotine addiction. In addition, vaping is affordable and offers users more variety and customization options.

But vaping has its drawbacks, too. For instance, it has unknown health risks. The risks that are known are dizziness, a dry mouth, and allergic reactions. Furthermore, poorly manufactured devices can explode or leak, causing burns. Finally, vaporizers can be used with narcotic substances and intoxicants.

About the Author

Editorial Staff at I2Mag is a team of subject experts.