Millions of Brits are now puffing on e-cigarettes, but are they putting their health in danger?
Were you drawn to the thrill of secretly lighting up behind the school bike sheds? Or perhaps you enjoyed a cheeky puff on a night out, only to worry the smell would be lingering by the time you got home.
It may feel like a lifetime ago but, in the 1960s, 40% of women smoked, according to the Royal College of Physicians. Since then, increased knowledge about the dangers of smoking, and the wave of government restrictions that followed, has led to a cultural change.
Smoking is out, and e-cigarettes – electronic devices that create inhalable vapour – are in. But is it really any healthier? Or is it time to stub out this bad habit for good?
The rise of e-cigarettes
There are now around 3.2 million people in the UK that vape.* The majority of these are former cigarette smokers. But are e-cigarettes actually any better for you? ‘It’s seen as a “healthier” alternative, but most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, so it still carries health risks,’ says GP Dr Hana Patel.** Without the smell of tobacco, they may be easier for today’s youth to hide from unaware parents, and more socially acceptable for adults to use in public, but with incidences of vaper’s cough and lung damage rising, as well as underage addiction, it seems vaping isn’t the innocent solution to smoking we once thought.
Chemical-free
Unlike traditional cigarettes, there’s no tobacco being burnt when you vape – so you’re not inhaling tar, carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals that cause the most harm to the body.
Instead, a battery heats a coil, which warms a cartridge or tank of vaping liquid made from propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, a flavouring and nicotine. This creates a vapour that you inhale, offering an experience similar to smoking. ‘At the moment, when using a vape that meets regulations, the health risks are smaller than the risk of cigarettes,’ says Dr Patel.
Can it help you quit?
Yes, vaping can help smokers cut back, as you still get that nicotine hit. People who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking (alongside expert in-person support) were twice as likely to stop smoking as those who used nicotine replacement products such as
