Full Breakdown of Vaping versus Cigarettes
Is Vaping Worse Than Cigarettes?
This question continues to be a hot topic of discussion with passionate voices on either side. This discussion can also take a lot of different turns and follow all kinds of rabbit trails. In this article, we will be specifically comparing cigarettes to vaping juices and e-juices that are infused with nicotine and meant to help wean people off of traditional cigarettes. There is a lot of data and research on either side of this argument, and the conclusion you come to may differ depending on whom specifically you are speaking to. This article is meant to give a concise, easy to digest comparison so you can make the best decision for yourself!
What is Vape Oil or E-Juice?
The terms vape oil, e-juice, or vape juice are generally used interchangeably for the same product that is commonly used in dry herb vaporizers. Vape juice can come in all different kinds of flavors and with varying levels of nicotine (some don’t have any nicotine at all!). While you may find some differences in terms of viscosity across specific products or brands, most manufactured e-juice will be compatible with most vapes.
Benefits of Vaping vs Cigarettes
1. Ability to Control Nicotine Dosage
When you buy an e-juice for vaping, the amount of nicotine present will be clearly indicated on the bottle or packaging. This makes them ideal products for gradually weaning yourself off of cigarettes by gradually decreasing the amount of nicotine present in an e-juice or vape oil you choose, eventually lowering it to 0mg of nicotine! Cigarettes, on the other, don’t have the amount of nicotine labeled and don’t come in “low nicotine” or ‘nicotine-free” forms.
2. Save Money
When compared to cigarettes, vaping is significantly less expensive. You can buy boxes of e-juices that can last you for weeks at a fraction of the cost you would spend to buy and smoke an equitable amount of cigarettes.
3. Less Smell
When vaping, even if your e-juice is flavored, you will produce a less overall smell. Vapor dissipates quickly and doesn’t leave a lingering scent, even when used indoors. Smoking, on the other hand, produces smoke with a very strong scent that not only lingers inside but can smell-stain clothing, walls, carpet, and more. If you want to escape the tell-tale smells produced by regular smoking, then vaping offers a significant advantage for you!
4. More Discreet
This goes along with the fact that vaping produces less of a smell. Vapor can be hard to see and hard to smell if you aren’t in the immediate vicinity of the person using it, which makes vaping a much more discreet choice. The vapor doesn’t linger and is harder to smell than smoke. If vaping outside, no one would have any idea you were vaping unless they were close enough to see you exhale the vapor.
5. Tasty Flavors
Vape oils come in a bunch of tasty flavors which many prefer to the taste of traditional smoking. While flavored e-juices potentially present their own problem (like making them more attractive to minors for illegal use), flavored vaping among adults can add just a bit more joy to your vaping experience. It is illegal for cigarettes to be flavored with fruity or sweet tastes, though there is a bit of wiggle room. For example, clove “cigarettes” are regularly flavored because they are technical cigars (though their form and function are nearly indistinguishable from cigarettes).
Setbacks of Vaping vs. Cigarettes
1. The Effects of Vape Juice
This is a setback because we simply don’t know the longterm effects that vaping e-juices may cause. The reason for this is that vaping is relatively new and research into its effects is still in its infancy. Inhaling smoke from tobacco has a decades-long body of research showing that it is definitely bad for your health and should be avoided. However, we don’t know if vaping is actually better than smoking because research regarding its health effects is still very new.
2. Ease of Use
Vaping is very, very easy to do, and it can be done inside. While that’s a pro for many who are tired of the chore that comes with smoking, it presents a challenge for those who are using vaping as a smoking cessation tool. It is hard to limit how much you vape when you do not have external factors preventing you from vaping. You will have a hard time weaning off of nicotine if you end up vaping twice as much as you ever smoked just because it’s easier to do!
3. Need for Electricity
If you want to smoke a cigarette, all you need to have is a cigarette and some source of an open flame. If you want to vape, you have to make sure that your vape pen is fully charged and in working order before you can vape. If the battery in your vape pen is dead or your vape pen no longer functions as it should, you have no way of vaping until you either fix your device or buy a new one. This can cause problems if you are in the middle of a smoking cessation program and are unable to ingest nicotine when a craving strikes. You risk backsliding to cigarettes! However, many vaping devices have interchangeable batteries that can minimize this issue, while others can be used and be charging at the same time.