8 Scientific Facts About Vaping You Should Know
We’ve all seen the vaping stories in the news or being shared on social media: “Vaping is Safe, Vaping is worse than we thought, Vaping causes Popcorn lung etc”. Sometimes it can be hard to determine when a story is legitimate or fake. A big part of vaping advocacy is helping to change how the public views vaping. We can do this by educating them with real facts and data. Here we will look at 8 scientific facts about vaping that every vaper should know.
These facts are all based on scientific studies and research. Links for all of the specifics and details of the research will be linked in the article.
1. No Long-Term Health Concerns
In a 3.5 years observational study, it was concluded that long-term use of an electronic cigarette did not present any health concerns. In the study, the individuals blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, and lung function was monitored as were high-resolution scans of their lungs.
While this is promising news, it is important to note that this study was only conducted on nine individuals so it is a relatively small sample size. The study also did not rule out any possible health concerns with continued long-term vaping. This study does present some promising news and I look forward to continued research on similar subjects.
If you are interested in learning more about this study, check out the link here.
2. Second-Hand Vapor Poses No Risk to Bystanders.
A toxicology expert from Drexel University, Igor Burstyn conducted a study to determine if there was any risk to third parties exposed to second-hand vapor. In the study, the chemistry of vapor was compared to the TLV (threshold limit value) of universally recognized workplace exposure standards.
He concluded that “Current state of knowledge about the chemistry of liquids and aerosols associated with electronic cigarettes indicates that vaping produces inhalable contaminants of the aerosol that would warrant health concerns. By the standards that are used to ensure the safety of workplaces”
Full details on this study are here.
3. Nicotine Alone Is Not Highly Addictive.
French expert Dr. Etter concluded that vaping was a lot less addictive than smoking. He considered it’s usage similar to that of nicotine replacement therapies currently available.
He was quoted as saying, “Some e-cigarette users were dependent on nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. But these products were less addictive than tobacco cigarettes.” “E-cigarettes may be as or less addictive than nicotine gums, which themselves are not very addictive.”
Read more to see how Dr. Etter came up with these findings.
4. Vapers Are Exposed to Less Carcinogens and Toxicants vs Smokers.
An observational study was conducted to evaluate vapers exposure to selected carcinogens and toxicants. 17 tobacco smoke biomarkers and seven nicotine metabolites were examined in urine samples of 20 individuals.
In the individuals tested, after switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes, nicotine exposure remains unchanged. While exposure to selected carcinogens and toxicants were substantially reduced.
See the full details of the study here.
5. Cancer Potencies of Vaping are 0.5% of Smoking
Research conducted by Public Health England examined the emissions from cigarettes and e-cigarettes. It concluded that the cancer potencies in e-cigarettes were largely under 0.5% compared to the risk of smoking.
All of the research is posted here.
6. Vaping Does Not Lead Kids to Smoking.
A report was done by Lynn Kozlowski (Department of Community Health, Buffalo) and Kenneth Warner (Public Health, University of Michigan) to determine if vaping was a gateway to traditional smoking.
“While research exists to support either side of the argument, we conclude, that the use of e-cigarettes is unlikely to increase the future cigarette smokers,” said Kozlowski and Warner. “Is it possible we could have our cake and eat it too? Perhaps, especially if sensible comprehensive harm reduction policies can earn a place in modern tobacco control efforts.”
Full research here.
7. Vaping Can Help You Quit Smoking.
Researchers from Columbia University and Rutgers University conducted a study of 15,500 adults over a two year period. In the annual, nationwide surveys, they looked at two specific groups, current smokers those who quit smoking during or before 2010. Why 2010? This was the year e-cigarettes were first introduced.
Their findings were that those who used e-cigs daily were far more likely to quit smoking vs those that never tried them. Over 50% of those that vaped daily had quit smoking within the last five years compared to only 28% of those that tried other methods.
Learn more about the rest of the study here.
8. Vapor Is Not Full of Formaldehyde.
We’ve all seen the reports that vapers are exposed to highly dangerous levels of formaldehyde. Well, not quite. In the original research, they tested the vapor emitted from devices that were constantly being fired used resulting in continued dry hits and the burning of the cotton material.
A similar study was conducted by a Dr. Farsolinos. According to Dr. Farsalinos who conducted a more recent study, “In fact, such testing of e-cigarettes is not very different from overcooking food to the point of becoming an inedible piece of charcoal and then assuming that consumers would consume it. To then be exposed to the resulting carcinogenic compounds in their daily routine,” writes Dr. Farsalinos.
Full details of Dr. Farsolinos research.
If you made it to the end, thanks for reading this article. I know it was a long read, but there are a lot of scientific facts about vaping which need to be shared. It’s on us to help shape the public opinion on vaping. Let’s do that by sharing real scientific facts.
What are your thoughts on the scientific facts about vaping presented above? Did any of them surprise you? Drop a comment below and let us know.
Vapor Mike
My name is Mike Cardeno. I started vaping back in 2010 and have never touched a cigarettes since. I started using 810 devices, to 510’s, eGo’s, Nautilus etc. to the current offerings of Subtanks and RDA’s. I love how far the industry has come and look forward to what’s in the future for vaping. I enjoy collecting new devices and writing reviews to give my feedback on some of the newest gear.
