Debunking Ten Vaping Myths

With vaping becoming a social phenomenon, there are several myths that have appeared from seemingly out of nowhere! The trouble is, if enough people reiterate the same thing, people tend to believe it! We have put together a list of the most common vaping ‘theories’, to let you know whether what you’ve heard is true, or complete hogwash.

What better place to start than this old chestnut? This myth is usually thrown around by smokers of traditional cigarettes. We can confirm this theory is categorically false. 

According to a study by Public Health England, vaping is at least 95% less harmful than cigarettes.

You can feel the physical and mental impact of transitioning from smoking to vaping. This includes clearer skin, stronger fingernails and whiter teeth! If you suffer from anxiety, making the switch from smoking to vaping could help improve your mood drastically!

Once again, this is a myth! There are so many ways in which you could enjoy vaping, including the cost-effective method of purchasing a pod vape kit. 

Instead of having to buy a new pack of cigarettes which will cost you upwards of £10, you can just purchase your vape liquid for significantly cheaper. More flavours, more satisfaction, more options! If you’d like to head down the popular disposable route, you can grab yourself a pre-filled device of your choosing for under £8 - it’s a no-brainer!

As of 2016, the sale of e-cigarettes and similar tobacco-based products is completely legal in the United Kingdom. You can live safe in the knowledge that you can vape without looking over your shoulder for law enforcement! Different venues will have different rules on how you can vape- but vaping itself is fine for you to partake in, so fill your boots!

If you’re travelling abroad and unsure of vape regulations, check out our article on which countries have banned vaping. 

Firstly, it’s important to remember that everyone is different. Some people have more addictive personalities than others.

Secondly, look at it this way, a lot of people with cigarette addictions made the decision to take up vaping instead. This could be for a multitude of reasons, such as;

The impact of COVID 19- It was revealed during the Coronavirus Pandemic that smokers are more likely to be vulnerable to infection than non-smokers. For this reason, many made the switch to vaping.  

Hygiene Purposes- Cigarettes leave a strong odour that is widely regarded as unpleasant- excessive smoking can also result in bad breath. With vaping, there are no strong odours left behind and your breath isn’t affected. 

Cutting Down on Nicotine- The most addictive substance in cigarettes is nicotine. Vape devices are available in different ranges of mg strength, all the way down to zero. When weeding off nicotine, vaping is an obvious solution.

When vape devices were first introduced, it is true that only a few selected stores opted to make them available for purchase. However, in the last few years this has changed tremendously. 

Several stores nationwide are now retailing vapes, particularly disposables, so you should have no trouble finding one!

Popcorn lung is an uncommon type of lung disease. It’s caused by a buildup of scar tissue in the lungs, resulting in restricted airflow. This is commonly associated with vaping, but we can assure you that vaping does not cause popcorn lung.

This myth stems from an occasion where a group of factory workers developed the condition after ingesting vast amounts of diacetyl. 

Such a rare instance does not correlate with vapers, so you can rest assured you will not develop popcorn lung through vaping. TPD regulations state that bottle capacity of any vape product should not exceed 10ml and nicotine strength must not exceed 20mg. The UK government has had this rule in place since 2016 and it’s unlikely to change any time soon.

A somewhat amusing myth- the vapour produced from kits and disposables is not just water vapour. It’s actually an aerosol, which is a fine spray of both chemicals and particles.

These particles hit your lungs, and afterwards the chemicals ingested enter your body. This is how you feel the effects of vaping whilst you taste all the delicious flavours available to you!

Now, we’ve all heard of second hand smoking. It’s true enough for cigarettes and cannabis smokers, but as of yet, secondhand vaping has not been undisputably proven. A study carried out by Igor Burstyn looked at exposure to e-cig vapour in the workplace. After over 9,000 observations, It concluded that second hand vapour does not warrant health concerns- particularly by the high standards used in a typical professional environment. 

Second hand smoke is the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke exhaled by the smoker. It occurs when people who do not smoke breath in said smoke, as a result inhaling more than 7,000 chemicals. If you’re around someone smoking a cigarette or a joint, you may ingest some of what they’re puffing on, so be aware!

For a step by step manual on vaping check out our official guide beginners vape guide!

The media has often reported that vaping leads directly to cancer due to a study exposing mice to vapour. 

However, UK scientists have condemned the study, stating that the mice in the experiment were exposed to vapour containing 36mg of nicotine, which is nearly double the legal limit permitted in the UK.

The mice were also bred specifically to develop cancer - meaning any result of the study cannot be deemed truly accurate. As of yet, there is no direct correlation between vaping and lung cancer, and it would take a monumental study to determine any kind of specific link.

The UK has over three million active vapers, almost all of whom smoked traditional cigarettes before switching to vaping. With that, there have been less than 25 reports of adverse effects.

This is an extremely encouraging statistic which supports Public Health England’s statement of vaping being 95% safer than smoking. There is no ‘one size fits all’ diagnostic when it comes to vaping, so cases must be dealt with on an individual basis. 

We hope you’re better informed as a result of this article. Remember, people fear what they do not understand, so it’s par of the course that rumours will circulate. Do not feel guilty for enjoying vaping, a lot of the myths you’ve heard surrounding it are exactly that, MYTHS!