The Vaping Argument – Where do you stand?
The use of E-cigarettes has been advised as a successful way to give up smoking. However, their use as a ‘stop smoking aid’ has recently been questioned. There is a lack of long-term research into ‘vaping’, but some studies done have discovered some interesting findings:
- No smoke without fire – E-cigarettes create vapour rather than producing tobacco smoke. The vapour delivers less nicotine to users than a conventional cigarette. E-cigarettes contain flavouring deemed safe to ingest, however, the risks of inhaling them long-term are unknown
- Doubling up – It is thought between 70 to 90% of e-cigarette users are “dual users,” meaning they still smoke tobacco cigarettes after they start vaping (live science, 2015)
- Think of others – The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2016) advises that e-cigarettes should be banned indoors, because they emit chemicals potentially as dangerous as cigarettes and have a potential passive smoking risk
Although e-cigarettes potentially involve health risks, they aren’t as toxic as those from smoking cigarettes. Anything that moves people away from smoking tobacco is a step in the right direction. Although not proven harm free, the NHS does recommend vaping as the lesser of two evils.
If health and wellbeing is a priority in your workplace, visit www.letsgethealthy.co.uk for a range of tailored employee health and wellbeing services, or call us on 01924 666 295 – We would love to hear from you!
