Vaping indeed is much less harmful than smoking. But that is also the very reason why it is more dangerous than you might be inclined to think.
And no, vaping does not cause the infamous popcorn lungs. Popcorn lungs (Bronchiolitis obliterans) are actually caused by Diacetyl — an organic compound used to flavor popcorn. In some countries (such as the UK) Diacetyl is even banned as an ingredient in vapes for that very reason. (It is contained in your everyday cigarette though.)
Also, people who switch from smoking to vaping have significantly reduced exposure to toxins associated with risks of cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke (according to the NHS-UK).
And yes, e-cigarettes do contain nicotine (and so are really addictive), but they do not contain most of the cancerous stuff in tobacco cigarettes. And that’s how the first basic Vaping Mantra reads:
Hallo addiction, Goodbye cancer !
Take my friend John. He is a nurse who smoked for more than twenty years before he took up vaping, in a desperate try to quit the cancer cigs. It’s been 7 years and he hasn’t touched a cigarette since.
So where’s the bad news ? The answer: Labrador retrievers. (Bear with me.)
Most biting incidents by dogs in children happen with Labrador retrievers: because Labradors are so nice and calm, parents trust their children in the close neighborhood of Labradors — in stark contrast to those nasty Pit Bull Terriers. And if you allow small kids to play with large dogs — even when the latter are very nice — some dogs will be abused, and some kids will be bitten. (Bear with me.)
And that’s the problem with e-cigarettes: they aren’t as nasty as tobacco cigarettes, so more young people (who never smoked before) try them out. And it is a statistical fact that the chance of becoming a smoker in vapers (who never smoked before) is much bigger than in non-vapers (who never smoked before).
Take Victoria. She is one of the best friends of my daughter, and one year ago she started vaping. (“Everyone does it and it’s not as bad as smoking.”) Victoria is contemplating tobacco smoking as we speak. She is thirteen years old.
And that’s the Vaping Dichotomy in a nutshell: if you are a smoker, vaping can help you stop smoking and become a much more healthy person in the end (be it that some of the damage that has been done cannot be undone).
If you have never smoked before though, it’s a smaller step to start vaping than to start smoking, but once you start vaping, smoking is nearby.
In short: vaping distances you from smoking, but it also seduces you to smoke —
It all depends on those who vape.
