Is vaping just the same as smoking?

At first glance, vaping and smoking may seem quite similar. However, despite sharing physical aspects and both providing an inhalable form of nicotine which is absorbed through the lungs, the differences between vaping and smoking are more valuable than their similarities. Cigarettes deliver nicotine through smoke produced when tobacco is burned, whereas e-cigarettes use a heated coil to turn e-liquids containing nicotine into an aerosol commonly referred to as vapour. Burning tobacco produces thousands of chemicals alongside nicotine, many of which are linked to serious, long-term negative health effects. The aerosol produced when an e-liquid is vaporised contains significantly fewer chemicals and, while it is not entirely risk-free, it has been demonstrated to be much less harmful when compared to tobacco smoke.

The presence of the addictive stimulant nicotine in e-liquids and cigarettes is the most notable similarity between vaping and smoking. Nicotine from cigarettes is inhaled in tobacco smoke which exposes users to high levels of harmful chemicals and is supplied in a fixed level that gives users little control over their intake. E-liquids contain small amounts of chemicals alongside closely controlled levels of nicotine. At EDGE our e-liquids range from 18mg to 0mg of nicotine available in free-pour for the EDGE PRO. The different levels of nicotine give users more individual control over their usage and provide an option to reduce intake for those who want to.

Alongside the presence of nicotine, vaping and smoking share the physical similarities of exhaled clouds of smoke or vapour and hand-to-mouth action. These similarities can make e-cigarettes familiar and accessible as an alternative to smoking. When added to the differences between smoking and vaping, they make e-cigarettes an appealing method for those looking to live a smoke-free life.

Burning tobacco produces over 5000 chemicals along with nicotine. The most dangerous of these are carbon monoxide and tar, but others include arsenic, formaldehyde and radioactive chemicals such as uranium. The WHO has stated that smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability and death around the world. However, there is evidence that these health risks start to decrease within just two days of stopping smoking, and continue to do so the longer ex-smokers remain on their smoke-free journey.

Many of the high-risk chemicals found in cigarette smoke are created specifically by the burning of tobacco, which is why e-cigarettes use a heated coil to vaporise e-liquids instead. At EDGE our mission is to make the safest and most consistent e-liquids in the world while upholding high levels of transparency. Making our e-liquids from a simple blend of four, high-quality key ingredients* with no artificial colourings or unnecessary chemicals, is just one step in our process. We also batch test our e-liquids and have gone beyond industry standards by carrying out an independent review of the presence of potentially harmful chemicals in our e-liquids. Our results demonstrated formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein and crotonaldehyde were either absent or at considerably lower levels than would be found from smoking just one cigarette. Other harmful chemicals associated with cigarette smoke were undetectable.

*Individual ingredients in flavourings may vary

https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/

 https://www.who.int/nmh/publications/fact_sheet_tobacco_en.pdf