There are a great number of myths in play around electronic cigarettes, how they work, what they contain and even whether or not they are designed to be used as a cigarette smoking cessation device.
No, electronic cigarettes are not designed to help people stop smoking. They do not just produce water vapour and one e-cigarette cartridge is not the same or indeed equivalent to a whole packet of traditional smoking cigarettes. Knowing the real story when it comes to buying e-cigs will help you find the correct and most suited device for you and your needs. Anyone claiming any of these myths are fact should not be selling the product and consumers should be wary.
Don't Bother Starting E Smoking - It's Being Made Illegal Soon
Honestly, where do these things come from? While some places have tried to ban e cigarettes, namely some parts of the US the industry is growing quickly on a global level with more retailers selling them every day. Indeed with ongoing research into the benefits of vaping over traditional tobacco who knows, perhaps health organisation will actually endorse them as an alternative in the future?
E Cigarettes are Explosive
If you ignore manufacturer's instruction and safety guidelines, stack batteries and modify your e cigarette then yes, this could dangerous. Use them sensibly and without messing around with the components and there is no reason to be concerned about exploding e cigs. The well publicised case of an e cigarette exploding while someone was using it was indeed an e cigarette that the smoker had modified.
No-one Knows What's In E Cigarettes and So They are Dangerous
All legitimate e liquid / e cigarette companies disclose what their e liquids contain which is usually a PG or VG base (used in food production), flavourings and nicotine in varying levels.
E Cigarettes have Nicotine in Them Therefore are as Bad For You as Tobacco Cigarettes
FALSE! Yes e cigarettes do often contain Nicotine (although there are many 0mg nicotine e liquids available too) however tobacco cigarettes contain this and much more.
A long list of chemicals may be found in tobacco cigarettes, many of which are classed by WHO (The World Health Organisation) as been carcinogen i.e. linked to causing cancer and/or being toxic.
Nicotine is highly addictive however the actual effect on the body has been shown to be very little.
Vaping Costs More
Quite the opposite. Dependant on the brands that you smoke and/or the brands or retailers you choose to use as an e smoker the price difference between vaping and tobacco smoking may be significant, with vaping coming out cheaper the vast majority of the time.
While there may be start up costs associated with switching to e cigs the overall running costs are cheaper.
Tobacco Cigarettes are Less Addictive
This is simply not true. With vapers being able to choose what level of nicotine they want to have (nicotine being highly addictive) or even choose nicotine free e liquids it stands to reason that they are indeed less addictive than tobacco cigarettes.
People Who are Near E Smokers Suffer the Same as Tobacco Passive Smokers
Again this is false. Tobacco smoke is proven to contain a great number of toxic and harmful chemicals which puts passive smokers at an increased risk of suffering numerous health problems. E Liquid vapour does not contain any of these chemicals.
E Cigarettes Cause Cancer
Tobacco cigarettes are proven to contain chemicals which cause cancer as well as a variety of other serious health concerns. E cigarettes are not. Ongoing research suggests that as e cigs don't contain any of the listed carcinogenic chemicals and ingredients known to cause cancer in tobacco smokers that this claim is simply not true.
E Cigarettes Don't Have Nicotine in Them
Actually this could be true or false. When buying e liquids you may choose the level of nicotine you wish to inhale, from higher amounts which are the same or similar to tobacco cigarettes down to low levels or even nicotine free varieties.
E Cigarettes Don't Taste Very Nice
Why on earth would anyone switch over and continue smoking an e cigarette if it tastes bad? With hundreds of flavours and strengths available and everything from tobacco tastes to fruity mixtures there is a wealth of fabulously tasting e cig flavours out there to choose from.
Myths Regarding Component Reliability
Anyone making definitive claims about how long the batteries and atomisers will last should produce proof to back this up. The technology which has made e-cigarettes a reality is relatively new, with the first e-cig being produced in China in 2006. With the e-cigarette market being a fairly new one it may be difficult to quantify with any certainty how long components will last.
In order to ensure that as a consumer you receive the very best possible return on your investment, as it were, make sure you read the amount of warranty each device comes with as most batteries are classified as disposable items and only carry 30 day warranty.
Claims Regarding E Liquids
The vast majority of e liquids, which may be called e-juice, smoke-juice or any number of alternatives are all made by a small number of manufacturers, using the same or similar ingredients. It is unlikely that if a supplier claims their e liquid is particularly new and different that it isn’t, unless they are able to back this up.
When choosing your e liquid go for a retailer (like ourselves) who offers you great service, a wide range of flavours and who knows their stuff, not one with wild claims about their product which they can’t prove.
Non Smokers Are Being Enticed into Start Smoking By E Smoking Companies
Again this isn't true. E cigarettes have been designed with existing smokers in mind as an alternative to cigarettes which are filled with harmful chemicals. Many are choosing to move over to vaping because it is cheaper, cleaner and there is more variety flavour-wise. vaping certainly isn't marketed at non-smokers.
E Cigarettes are Easily Available to Children and Teens
E Cigarettes are as easily available to young people as tobacco cigarettes are which means they are not. It is illegal to purchase or sell cigarette products to under 18's in the UK as they contain nicotine (which is highly addictive) and therefore falls under the same legislation as traditional smokes do.
E Cigarettes are Made Attractive to Children
E cigarettes are not marketed at children, they are not sold to children and they are not meant for children. Some claim that offering e liquids in sweet flavours lures children in however this simply isn't the case. Many adults enjoy sweet vape flavours and regardless e cigarettes and e liquids aren't available to children.
Using Your Electronic Cigarette Inside
As you will already know, smoking traditional cigarettes indoors and in a variety of locations is strictly prohibited and this is something which is reinforced by the law, with offenders opening themselves up to fines and prosecution.
What is the score with electronics cigarettes though? While the law does not appear to prohibit the use of e cigs indoors at present in some locations, any premises owner has the right to ask you to take it outside, despite it not being a lit cigarette.
The general rule of thumb is that when in public do as the smokers do and be respectful of those around you who request a completely smoke free zone, be that actual smoke or vaping. It may not be long before the law includes electronic cigarettes in the ban anyhow.
Smoking Electronic Cigarettes is Entirely Safe
Honestly, it is far too soon to be making claims either way with regards to vaping. It is entirely possibly and quite likely that electronic cigarettes have a much less detrimental effect on health, especially as they contain far fewer chemicals etc. That said there are no clinical trials or any official published research or statistics to back this up. You have to make your own judgement here based on what you do know and be wary of any e cig seller who claims otherwise.
E Cigarettes Contain Dangerous Anti-Freeze
This is a common misconception. E liquids are often made with a base liquid called propylene glycol (PG). PG is sometimes used in anti-freeze but only as an ingredient to make it less toxic/harmful if anti-freeze were to be accidentally ingested. No self respecting e liquid manufacturer would use actual anti-freeze in their e liquids and would gain nothing (other than legal trouble) if they did. Ethylene Glycol is indeed used in anti-freeze, which is not something you would wish to inhale. Propylene Glycol is not the same and yet is sometimes confused with EG due to the similar name
All Batteries Last a Full 24hrs Before Charge is Needed
This is a myth. While obviously the battery life of an electronic cigarette depends on the model and also the amount of time within a twenty four hour period that it is used, the reality is that an e-cigarette battery that lasts a full day or more is something many hope to see in the future.
That said how many mobile phones nowadays last longer than a day before needing to be charged up?
When Smoking an Electronic Cigarette You Only Exhale Water Vapour
The truth is that when you exhale when smoking an electronic cigarette that what you do breathe out is largely made up of propylene glycol. This contains no carbon monoxide and virtually not nicotine.
All Tobacco E Liquid Flavours Taste the Same as Tobacco
Firstly, what does “Tobacco” taste like? There are a number of different products on the market and the same applies to tobacco tasting e liquid flavours. There are a great number of very tasty tobacco e liquid flavours available and while none of them taste very dissimilar to tobacco you couldn’t mistake any of them for the specific taste that comes from real tobacco.
There are Hundreds of Electronic Cigarette and E Liquid Manufacturers
This is not a myth. With the e liquid and e cig market being fairly advanced now there are hundreds of manufacturers and most of them originate in China. When it comes to choosing your e liquids it is easy to distinguish with a little internet searching and by asking other vapers which brands are the main ones.
Unlike Cigarettes There is No Noticeable Scent With Electronic Cigarettes
The smell associated with e cigs is much less obvious than traditional tobacco products however there may be a faint odour, depending on which e liquid flavour you have chosen to enjoy, which those close by may detect.
Hopefully this has dispelled some of the vaping myths which are commonly heard and has given you a clearer picture of the difference between the two smoking types.
