Can Electronic cigarettes be a tool to help smokers quit?

Also referred to as e-cigs or ECs, electronic cigarettes have been around for quite some time. These electric devices produce aerosols (vapours), that are inhaled by the user. The vapours often contain nicotine, but without the noxious toxins of tobacco. Some people use e-cigs to help them quit smoking for good; others use them because they can smoke in enclosed areas without harming the health of the people around them. There’s been a lot debate around the idea that electronic cigarettes are better than actual cigarettes. Some agree, others don’t. Regardless, let’s have a closer look at some facts.

Odourless

One of the main reasons smokers (and non-smokers) like e-cigs is because they’re odourless. Normal cigarettes have the most awful smell. It clings and it impregnates in your car, house, clothes, everything. The odour is hard to get out (sometimes even impossible). To ex-smokers and non-smokers, the specific smell is obvious and quite disturbing.

Cigarettes have a specific scent because they burn chemicals and tar, apart from tobacco. The properties of these burning substances lead to clinging to our walls, furniture and cloths. Electronic cigarettes, however, are odourless. That’s because rather than exhaling smoke, you exhale vapours. These evaporate almost instantly, and your house will no longer smell like a night club.

Safer

Traditional smoking involves burning tobacco. You must light up a cigarette to smoke it. There have been many fire hazards provoked by cigarettes across the country, not to mention lighters exploding in people’s faces. What’s great about e-cigs is that smokers don’t have to use any sort of flame to smoke them. The obvious question is whether they’re safer for our health of not. The answer is plain simple: YES. Traditional smoking may lead to throat cancer, heart attack, pneumonia, stroke, lung cancer, osteoporosis, and more. That’s because they’re packed with chemicals that may lead to cancer. When you’re using an electronic cigarette, the risk is visibly diminished. Furthermore, many people can quit smoking a lot easier when switching to e-cigs.

Social impact electronic cigarettes

Traditional smoking has quite a negative impact on today’s society. It is a habit that expands on to the youth, who often begin to smoke because they are influenced to do so. However, the social impact of electronic cigarettes is a lot more positive. People are allowed to smoke indoors, and they no longer have to go out to light a cigarette.

The health concerns are diminished with e-cigs, and many people have stopped thinking that smoking is a deadly habit. With electronic cigarettes, it is not. On a general social scale, “e-smoking” is more accepted. Traditional smokers don’t like dating smokers, for example. The good news is that e-cigs are odourless and tasteless. It is the best alternative to stop your craving for tobacco, but without all the side effects.

Pros and cons

We can’t say for sure whether electronic cigarettes can help you stop smoking or not. They might because you can adjust the nicotine level. The lower the level, the better the chances to stop smoking completely. But that again, takes time and patience.  The benefits are clear: e-cigs are odourless, tasteless, conveniently-priced and last longer. As for the side effects, some people have mixed feelings about the composition of the liquids.

Furthermore, there have been studies trying to prove they’re just as harmful to the health than traditional cigarettes. But there’s no clear proof that’s true. Since we live in an advanced tech world with constant access to the internet, we can’t compete with the bad reputation the e-cig industry is getting. One thing’s for sure – ecigarettes are less harmful than conventional smoking.

Many people around the world can’t quit smoking. Books have been written on the subject and threatening messages have been placed on cigarette packages to scare away active smokers. Nothing has worked until e-cigarettes appeared. They’re a much safer alternative to conventional smoking, and users can easily go with 0% nicotine level in their e-cig to try and quit smoking for good. Bottom line is, we can’t force anyone to use electronic cigarettes. What we can do is lie out the benefits of vaping over conventional smoking. And honestly, the world would be way better off without ordinary cigarettes that smell awful and destroy people’s teeth, skin, hair, and overall health.