Despite the use of e-cigarettes becoming more and more popular (ever since its introduction to the market back in 2009), the risks related to vaping has not been identified due to the inability to process data and research over a longer period of time. While you were enjoying your happy Fourth of July, a research conducted by Otago University based in Wellington surfaced which drew its main focus on the comparison of vaping risks to conventional tobacco cigarette smoking.
Otago University’s conclusion is: vaping e-cigarettes do pose a potential health risk to its users however the risks are comparatively less than risks associated with smoking tobacco.
Now, you may think that this is relatively common sense since smoking tobacco inhales smoke which causes carbon monoxide to stick to the cells in our lungs when compared to vaporizing which is vapor thus being less harmful. Truth of the matter is as much as it may make sense “commonly”, well conducted research establishes what is true and false similar to how the world thought the food pyramid was the goldmine to a nutritional balance only to be recently dubbed false after further extensive amounts of research. Point is, research solidifies our opinions and many a time disproves it.
Although the sale of e-liquids which contain nicotine are not permitted throughout New Zealand, users are allowed to import these e-liquids for their own personal use (as confirmed by the Ministry of Health of New Zealand). As for the United Kingdom, the purchase of these e-liquids are legal pursuant to the backing given by the Public Health of England stating that at its best estimate, e-cigarettes are an approximate of 95% less harmful than conventional tobacco smoking.
Based on a report issued in Otago University’s Public Health Expert blog, Professor Nick Wilson and his team produced research data comparing e-cigarette users and tobacco smokers. According to the research, the biological markers such as compounds contained within breath exhaled and urine. These biological markers are used to identify the percentage levels of harm caused by either vaping e-cigarettes or smoking tobacco. This is crucial due to the customizable variations provided by different models of vaporizers (including coil resistance customization) as well as how, based on data derived from the study, smokers tend to inhale not as long as vapers do.
Professor Nick Wilson and his team stated that the estimates that were made by the Public Health of England alongside those made by the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom were largely relying on opinions provided by experts rather than those derived from data and research extruded by the general public.
The report states that based on the research conducted, the results show that:
- The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the lungs of a vaper is significantly less than those faced by tobacco smokers
- The risk of cardiovascular or respiratory-related disease for vapers is at least half that of tobacco smokers based on the biological markers related to inflammation
- The risk of vapers being prone to cancer is approximately 14% to 23% to that of a tobacco smoker
Otago University’s research states that the risk of chronic disease is expected to decline upon the switch from conventional tobacco smoking to e-cigarette vaping. This has backed up several presumptions made by experts in the vaping field however with the newly released data evidencing such research, it could prove to be world changing throughout the vaping industry.
However, despite the research being appealing, the research also indicates that long term vaping leaves a potential exposure of individuals being hit by hazardous toxins that relate to cancer, long term respiratory issues as well as cardiovascular diseases. Although this may be, the comparison to smoking tobacco the conventional way has proven to inflict more risk and harm to the smoker’s body.
According to Professor Nick Wilson, the safest way for smokers to enjoy tobacco would be to solely vape and not mix in both vaping and the conventional way of smoking a cigarette with an eventual aim to quit vaping too (for the long term health benefit). By quitting smoking and vaping, it was proven that the socioeconomic position as well as overall health.