Clearing up Some Myths on E-Cigarettes & Vaping

Here are 5 myth-busting facts about vaping

21 June 2022 | Hannah Rubery

E-Cigarettes and vaping often are synonymous with debates nowadays. More and more questions arise around the topic, and many have already been answered. For those still on the fence about vaping, we hope to clear up some of the most common myths that surround E-Cigarettes, so that you can make up your own mind with the facts.

E-Cigarettes are not regulated

A common misconception is that E-Cigarettes and vaping are not regulated but in actual fact, it is highly regulated, especially in the UK. In the UK and EU, guidelines were set in place to establish the safety and quality of vaping products sold within those territories known as TPD (or in the UK, now as TRPR).

These regulations stipulate factors such as tank size for E-Cigarettes and disposables which are capped at 2ml. It also regulates the maximum strength of nicotine allowed to be sold (20mg/ml) and that bottles of nicotine E-Liquids can contain no more than 10ml. There are a whole host of regulations that cover base ingredients, the quality of certain ingredients, the packaging and warnings, and even the marketing of vaping products.

Vaping is as harmful as smoking

Anyone who has heard about vaping has heard about the term EVALI (E-Cigarette or Vaping product use Associated Lung Injury). The case of vape users in 2019 & 2020 being hospitalised in the US due to vaping was high in the headlines for quite some time and is the favourite piece of ‘evidence’ many anti-vaping groups use. However, these cases of E-VALI that were reported were later discovered to be due to illegal THC vapes that contained a harmful, illegal ingredient that caused the injuries – vitamin E acetate.

E-Cigarettes and vapes that are reputable and legal do not contain this ingredient due to safety concerns. But the wide-scale panic that was generated from this hyped-up event was certainly not warranted for vaping in general. When you factor in the sheer number of people who vape globally – by 2018 there were approximately 41 million people vaping in the world – it should make you question why there are not more stories of EVALI if vaping itself was to blame.

E-Cigarettes cause popcorn lung

The term ‘popcorn lung’ originated from the popcorn industry back in the early 2000’s after concerns of health issues arising in popcorn factory workers. It was suggested that diacetyl, the chemical that creates the buttery flavour in popcorn, was possibly behind a rise in bronchiolitis obliterans at the factory. Although diacetyl is safe to consume in food such as popcorn, inhalation is not quite the same and resulted in health problems. This ingredient was linked to some E-Liquids early in the industry.

In the UK and EU, the regulations as mentioned before, mean that E-Liquids are screened for banned chemicals such as diacetyl. Therefore, trusted, and compliant brands like Pod Salt, do not contain such chemicals as diacetyl. Due to being manufactured in the UK, products like our own here at Pod Salt, are confidently safe to vape in accordance with government regulations.

E-Cigarettes don’t help smokers quit

There are many claims that vaping doesn’t actually help smokers quit, with some even suggesting that vaping is a gateway to new smokers. The reality is there are many studies that have found E-Cigarettes as a fruitful way for smokers to quit smoking, with evident success in either cutting down or quitting completely.

In the UK, it has been observed that vaping is more successful in helping smokers quit than traditional NRTs (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) and is why the NHS and UK government back vaping as a means of helping smokers quit.

Vapes contain tons of harmful chemicals

Another myth many hear is how vaping contains tons of harmful chemicals or metals, making them as, or more, harmful than cigarettes. Now of course there are some harmful substances in E-Cigarettes as by-products of vaporising and due to the inclusion of nicotine, which is why vaping is not suggested for those who have never smoked, but these are much less than that of cigarettes.

Vaping has been shown to virtually eliminate exposure to carbon monoxide, tar and many of the 7000 chemicals associated to smoking health issues. Therefore, vaping is touted as being much less harmful than smoking, and why those looking to quit should, if possible, switch completely rather than dual-use, to reap the benefits.

What is the truth about vaping?

Vaping and E-Cigarettes can be unfairly demonised by those looking to undermine their usefulness in smoking cessation. With many who don’t thoroughly research the topic, it can be easy for misinformation to spread. But as more and more officials step forward with research, and the UK continues to back vaping as a means to quit smoking, more awareness should follow.

Now the UK is leading the charge with vaping as a means of quitting smoking, and we here at Pod Salt continue to push for the validity of vaping as a successful quit-smoking tool. With the versatility that Pod Salt products offer, the goal is to not only help users quit smoking, but eventually help users quit nicotine and vaping for good.

Are there any other vaping myths you think need explaining? Let us know in the comments.