The Health Benefits of Vaping vs Smoking
So you’re thinking of quitting and wondering about the health benefits of vaping vs smoking. Congratulations! You’ve come to the right place. Current research is showing several ways in which vaping is less harmful than smoking. We’ll outline these for you here so that you can make informed decisions for your long-term health.
Chemicals in Cigarettes Can Cause Cancer and Lung Damage
To kick off our exploration of the health benefits of vaping vs smoking, let’s take a look at the risks and harm associated with the chemicals contained in combustion cigarettes.
Every time you smoke a cigarette, you are exposing your lungs to tobacco, which has been shown time after time to lead to several serious lung diseases. When you smoke, you are also exposing yourself to chemicals like NNAL and VOCs, which are known to cause cancer and lead to lung, heart, and developmental damage.
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NNAL
One of the chemicals in cigarettes that is known to cause damage is metabolite 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol or NNAL. This by-product of smoking has been associated with lung cancer.
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VOCs
Short for Volatile Organic Compounds, toxic VOCs have been found in all of the main U.S. domestic cigarette brands, including benzene, toluene, styrene, xylenes, and ethylbenzene. According to the studies referenced by the researchers involved, these VOCs have been linked with respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, neurological toxicity, and developmental damage. The latter is an especially serious problem for unborn babies, children, and teenagers who are exposed to direct and passive cigarette smoke.
The Health Benefits of Vaping vs Smoking
Like combustion smokes, e-cigarettes and pod devices contain nicotine—an addictive chemical. However, as the nicotine delivered in this format is an extract from tobacco rather than a component of the whole tobacco leaf, it follows that vaping will expose you to a lowered risk of lung disease when compared with smoking.
The other way in which vaping is less harmful than smoking is the significantly lowered exposure to cancer-causing chemicals and VOCs. According to a 2017 cross-sectional study in the UK that measured the health benefits of vaping vs smoking, self-selected smokers who switched to exclusive vaping for six months demonstrated the following characteristics in urine and saliva samples:
- A 97.5% lower presence of NNAL when compared to smokers
- Significantly lower levels of the VOCs acrolein, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, 1,3-butadiene, and ethylene oxide
- Comparable reductions in urine and salivary carcinogen levels to those who switched from smoking to nicotine patches or gum
The Health Benefits of Vaping vs Smoking According to Cancer Research UK
One of the public organizations that has come out in favor of the health benefits of vaping vs smoking is Cancer Research UK. With the aim of encouraging smokers in the United Kingdom to quit, this trusted organization has published a page on their website that states that vaping is “far less harmful than smoking,” contains lower levels of toxic chemicals, and does not harm bystanders in the way that passive smoking does.
Another point in favor of vaping according to CRUK is that vaping can actually help you quit cigarettes—shown by large-scale research from the United Kingdom and France.
Take Advantage of the Health Benefits of Vaping vs Smoking with Pod Juice
If you’re ready to take charge of your health and kick that smoking habit once and for all, we recommend choosing a brand of e-juice that tests all of their products for actual nicotine content and avoids the use of added chemicals and sub-standard flavorings. At Pod Juice, we offer salt nic Pod Juice with nicotine levels of 20mg, 35mg, and 55mg, as well as freebase nicotine formulations with strengths of 0mg, 3mg, and 6mg.
To prevent dangers such as exploding batteries and to make sure that your vaping really is less harmful than smoking, invest in quality devices & hardware. Please contact us to learn more and follow us on social media to discover our award-winning flavors and special discounts.