6 Vaping Myths Debunked

March 12, 2018 / 3 min read

Huge numbers of people have found vaping to be the easiest and most effective way of quitting smoking. E-cigarettes have not been linked to any death in the UK, they are cost effective and e-liquids come in a large variety of flavours.

However, despite the fact that recent studies and reports have shown that vaping can actually help people quit smoking and that it is less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes, there are still a number of common misconceptions. There are so many myths surrounding the vaping industry today, we’ve decided to debunk 6 of the most common ones, especially for people who are new to vaping or want to try it for the first time.

E-liquids Contain Antifreeze

Most e-liquids today contain Propylene Glycol, which yes, is an ingredient sometimes used in antifreeze, but only to make the liquid less harmful if swallowed. Authoritative bodies like the EU and FDA recognize Propylene Glycol as being safe for human consumption and environmentally friendly. As well as in e-liquids, this ingredient is used in ice cream to stop it from becoming too icy or in margarine to give it a soft texture.

Vaping is just as harmful as smoking cigarettes

Throughout the years, a significant number of studies have shown that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. For example, in 2015, a report published by Public Health England claimed that vaping is 95% less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. The report was built on the fact that e-cigarettes don’t use any of the hazardous chemicals that mainstream tobacco contains.

Moreover, according to Cancer Research UK, key harmful chemicals are lower in people who switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes, as vapour is free of the 4,000 toxic chemicals found in tobacco cigarettes.

E-cigarettes explode in your pocket

As well as your smartphone, laptop or other electronics, e-cigarettes contain lithium ion batteries, which should not pose any risk of exploding in people’s pockets as long as they are used properly and safely. As with any other type of electronics, there can be a manufacturer defect or operator error, but, in most cases, when people claimed that their e-cigarette exploded it was due to poor maintenance.

In order to make sure that you use your e-cigarette safely, especially for those who use replaceable batteries, always make sure that you use recommended chargers, store your batteries safely, replace them periodically and do not overcharge them.

E-liquids contain toxic chemicals

All e-liquids in the UK must be TPD compliant, they contain only 3 or 4 ingredients: Glycerol, Propylene Glycol, Flavouring and Nicotine (optional). It is interesting to know that all the ingredients, except nicotine, can be found in products that we use daily, such as drinks, food or cosmetics, therefore these are not unknown compounds or toxic chemicals.

Of course, we do not advise you to drink or taste the e-liquid, but you shouldn’t be concerned about vaping it.

Second hand vape is as dangerous as second hand smoke

Due to the fact that e-cigarettes don’t involve combustion, they produce very little to no exposure to harmful chemicals compared to tobacco cigarettes. For example, a medical journal published by Inhalation Toxicology shows that, based on the compounds analysed, there is no apparent risk to human health from e-cigarette vapour.

As well as that, a study conducted by the Lorillard Tobacco Company, which compared the level of carcinogens in second-hand vapour with cigarette smoke, shows that vapour contains as many carcinogens as the ambient air.

6. E-cigs target children and teenagers

Teenage years are the years when the curiosity piques, therefore young adults are enticed by vaping as much as they are by smoking cigarettes. Whenever something new and exciting appears on the market, teenagers are the ones who want to explore it first.

However, vaping was designed by and for people who wanted to quit smoking and also to help others do the same. Even though e-liquids sometimes come in sweet flavours, they are not targeted toward children. Adults like sweets too.

Moreover, it is illegal to purchase and sell these products to under 18s, so therefore the same legislation applies to e-cigarettes as for traditional cigarettes.

Oliver Norman

Our resident vaping expert with nearly a decade of industry experience. From working on the shop floor, bottling, picking and packing vaping products for customers, to designing and formulating e-liquids in the lab, there isn't much about vaping that Ollie doesn't know. His expertise, knowledge and insight into the industry make Ollie the go-to for reliable and trustworthy industry info.