The vaping industry has exponentially grown over the past 10 years. In fact, vaping products and the industry as a whole have been valued at $6 billion as of 2017. With the increased occurrence of e-cigs and other vaping products in shelves and online stores, regulators and activists have begun to express concern about the potential dangers of second-hand vapor.
Because there are multiple studies that show the risks of second hand smoke from cigarettes, people have naturally turned that concern towards vaping products. The uncertainty of second-hand vapor still tends to raise eyebrows despite vaping repeatedly being shown to be much safer than smoking cigarettes.
Multiple studies have shown that the dangers of being exposed to second-hand vapor are minimal, if not non-existent. But let’s look more closely at what second-hand vapor is and how it compares to second hand smoke.
What Is Second-hand Vapor?
Second-hand vapor is the e-cig vapor that is produced during vaping and escapes into the surrounding air. This vapor can be inhaled by other third parties who are not actively vaping. The debate, therefore, arises if this second-hand vape smoke is actually harmful to innocent bystanders.
When someone vapes, an aerosol is the substance that is inhaled and exhaled as a result of the vaping process. This aerosol is what is suspected to contain harmful components that can affect others. The aerosol is suspected to contain formaldehyde, nicotine, and other alcohols that may be harmful to the body.
However, multiple studies have shown that second-hand vapor contains minimal concentrations of these substances. In fact, a study carried out in California (in a poorly ventilated shop where active vaping was going on) showed that the second-hand vapor in the atmosphere contained undetected levels of nicotine, glycodil, acetone, and many other chemicals.
The formaldehyde content that was detected was no more than normal levels found in inside and outside air conditions. As a result, the potential dangers of second-hand vapor tend to be over-exaggerated due to the unfamiliarity that most people have with vaping.
Risks Of Second-hand Smoke Vs Second-Hand Vapor
As opposed to the risks of second-hand vapor, which are minimal to non-existent, second-hand smoke has been shown to contain a variety of harmful chemicals. When someone lights up a cigarette, most of the smoke goes into the surrounding air as opposed to his or her lungs. As a result, second-hand smoke tends to be as potent (if not more potent) as smoking the cigarette itself. Some studies show that second-hand smoke increases the risk of cancers such as lung cancer, respiratory infections, and heart diseases. Second-hand smoke also tends to contain carcinogens in higher concentrations and with finer particles that can make it more easily into the body.
When the risks of secondhand smoke are compared to second-hand vapor, the less risky option is obvious. It is, therefore, a good idea to consider making the gradual switch from smoking to vaping. Not only will you inhale less toxic chemicals, you will also pose less of a risk those around you as well.
Making The Switch From Smoking To Vaping
While switching from smoking to vaping is highly encouraged, it can be challenging. Smokers typically enjoy the nicotine hit that is felt towards the back of the throat (throat hit) as well as the higher nicotine concentrations of regular cigarettes.
Indeed, it is nicotine that is the addictive substance in cigarettes and makes quitting smoking altogether a challenge. However, other chemicals in cigarettes also tend to keep smokers hooked to those traditional and harmful cigarette packs.
The secret to making a successful switch is, to begin with about the same nicotine levels with e-cigs and then gradually lowering nicotine intake during vaping. Making an abrupt change can cause you to relapse to smoking, even more, to compensate for the period you went without your usual dosage.
Gradually Stepping Down Nicotine Intake
To make the successful switch from smoking to vaping, it takes the right balancing of nicotine concentrations as well as e-juice selection. The best e-juices can divert smokers from the pack and into the e-cigs. The critical step for smokers is to start with e-juices that have about the same nicotine concentration as their cigarettes.
It is typically recommended that you start with a best nicotine vape juice level of about 24mg/ml. After a few weeks, you can step down to 12mg.ml, 6mgl.ml and even eventually decide to go nicotine-free altogether.
At VaporFi, we stock the best e-juices available that will make the switch from smoking to vaping an achievable process. Our e-juices vary in nicotine concentration while still retaining the same flavorful and mouth-watering taste in the vapor itself.
Experiment from our extensive e-juice selection while also trying out various vape mod starter kits that can vaporize your flavors with ease.
Gianna Del Monte is the Brand Manager at VaporFi. She has been in the vaping industry since June 2015 and has extensive experience in successfully managing and marketing a variety of new vapor product launches. Originally from New Jersey, Gianna has lived in the Miami area for the last 5 years.
