This is probably the second most commonly asked question, and the answer is, unfortunately, unclear. Science has yet to determine for certain whether or not vaping is absolutely safer than smoking. Public health experts in the U.S. are divided over the potential benefits and risks of e-cigs, and conclusive scientific evidence is scarce.
Below are some statistics in favor and against the health benefits of smoking:
For:
- Vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking. Public Health England.
- The benefits of vaping outweigh its risks. Vaping is the first genuine way of helping people quit smoking. Royal College of Physicians.
- The amount of volatile organic compounds found in exhaled vapor is less than both exhaled smoke and normal breath. Spanish Council of Scientific Research.
Against:
- A report by WHO suggests that vaping can become a gateway for teens and young adults, a gateway to the world of smoking. World Health Organization.
- A more recent study suggests that vaping has nearly the same impact as cigarettes in terms of suppressing the essential immune system-related genes. American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Read more about Vaping vs Smoking
What Is Vaping: Vaping Safety Tips
Here are a few things you can do to ensure the safety of yourself as well as others around you:
- If you don`t already smoke, do not start vaping now. Nicotine is a serious drug that is highly addictive and can lead to health problems on its own even if you have never smoked a cigarette. It is not worth taking on addiction for the sake of vaping.
- Choose the best gear from the most renowned manufacturers because low-quality vaporizers can pose several threats and risks to your lung health that may not even be related directly to vaping.
- Avoid vaping in places where smoking is prohibited.
- For a healthier lifestyle, eliminate nicotine products from your e-liquids. Most manufacturers allow you to choose a nicotine strength, which makes it easy to gradually cut down the intake and eventually vape e-liquids with 0% nicotine.
- Always prefer child-proof bottles for your e-juices, and keep them out of reach of children and pets because if an e-liquid contains nicotine, it can be poisonous if ingested.
- Take precautionary measures to ensure battery safety, especially if you are using the 18650 vape batteries. Don`t use a charger other than the one recommended by the manufacturer; don`t overcharge or over-discharge the batteries; store the batteries which are not in use in a safe place (preferably in a plastic case), and don`t carry loose batteries in your pocket.
Don`t build your own mods until you are very familiar with how a vape mod works and get very familiar with Ohm`s law.