For several years now, e-cigarettes have been on the rise and are becoming increasingly widespread. No wonder, because vaporizing is considered a much less harmful alternative to conventional smoking. But are the electric cigarettes really healthier than the classic cigarette? And what are the risks of the trendy vaporizing?
This is why e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes
The fact that smoking poses a major threat to health has long been deeply embedded in the consciousness. Yet the great potential for harm in conventional cigarette consumption is due to the combustion process of tobacco, which produces thousands of substances, several hundred of which are considered toxic to the point of being carcinogenic. More and more tobacco companies have also recognized the signs of the times and are offering alternative tobacco products. After Philipp Morris (with Iqos) and British American Tobacco (with Glo), Japan Tobacco International, which is best known for its cigarette brands such as Winston and Camel, is now also trying to gain a foothold in the Swiss market, with its product being called Ploom Tech. This new type of e-cigarette uses steam to heat granulated tobacco to just 30 degrees, but no smoke, smoke odor or ash is produced. According to Japan Tobacco International, Ploom Tech achieves “up to 99 percent reduction in analyzed substances compared to cigarette smoke,” but still contains tobacco. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, on the other hand, advises giving up smoking tobacco cigarettes altogether and recommends – if smoking cannot or will not be given up by other means – switching to e-cigarettes. This is because e-cigarettes do not use tobacco and therefore do not burn tobacco. Therefore, it seems logical that long-term use is less harmful than long-term use of conventional cigarettes is. It should be noted, however, that long-term studies naturally do not yet exist, especially for the consumption of e-cigarettes, which have only been established on the market for a few years. However, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) also points out that e-cigarettes are less harmful because no tar is produced by the vapor. In addition, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) emphasizes that “characteristic carcinogenic combustion products” do not occur with e-cigarettes compared to cigarettes. According to a study by Public Health England, electric cigarettes are even classified as 95 percent less harmful than conventional cigarettes. Thus it can be stated that vaporizing may well be regarded as a healthier alternative to smoking, but that in no way means that people should now blithely start vaporizing regardless of the consequences. At the same time, the DKFZ also warns against taking the potential dangers of e-cigarettes lightly and playing them down.
Aerosol contains fewer pollutants, but …
The key here is to take a close look at the exact components of the liquids. Liquids are the liquid, which is placed in the cartridge of the e-cigarette and heated by means of an electric heating element (nebulizer). When the mouthpiece is pulled, the liquid nebulizes and aerosol is inhaled – but no smoke as with a classic cigarette. The aerosol actually contains significantly fewer harmful substances, but it is not free of pollutants. In addition to inflammation-promoting and irritating substances, it can also contain carcinogenic ones. This primarily refers to acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, which is produced when the liquids are heated. These can irritate the skin and mucous membranes, damage the respiratory tract and cause cancer. The main component of the liquids is propylene glycol or glycerine. This is a fogging agent, which is also known, for example, from the disco (disco fog). And this vapor can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract, although it is not known what consequences can be expected from long-term exposure to this substance. Moreover, in addition to distilled water and ethanol, the liquid also contains nicotine and, in most cases, various flavorings. Nicotine is known to cause physical and psychological dependence, as especially as former smokers may have experienced when trying to quit smoking.When vaporizing, the nicotine reaches the brain almost as quickly as when smoking a normal cigarette, so the e-cigarette also has a high addiction potential. For this reason alone, the electric cigarette should not be trivialized. However, it should be emphasized that there are nicotine-free liquids on the market!
Usage behavior when vaporizing is co-decisive
However, according to the DKFZ, every consumer influences the concentration of harmful substances such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde themselves through their usage behavior when vaporizing. Because this depends, among other things, on the battery strength. In newer models of e-cigarettes, it is often possible to vary the battery voltage. In this case, the voltage with which the ignition wire is brought to heat can be adjusted individually. The following rule of thumb applies:
The higher the voltage, the higher the temperature and the more vapor is produced. More vapor means a higher release of more nicotine and more harmful substances. A consumption of 3 milliliters of liquid with an e-cigarette allows about 14 milligrams of formaldehyde to be produced, which is 5 to 14 times the amount compared to smoking 20 cigarettes. In addition, the length of time a vaporizer is used also affects the release of chemicals such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein. The longer the vaporizer is used in the e-cigarette, the more harmful substances are released. Therefore, when vaporizing, it is also essential to make sure that the vaporizers are changed regularly.
Does vaporizing make it easier to start smoking?
The selection of liquids for e-cigarettes is extremely diverse. In addition to classic tobacco flavors, there are also quite a few variants with sweet flavors such as apple or chocolate. While this promises a welcome change when vaporizing, at the same time sweet flavorings in particular can be highly attractive to children and adolescents, who can thus become addicted to nicotine. The consequence can be that in this way the entry into tobacco smoking is given. In addition, the variety of liquids with their different flavorings makes it difficult to make a general statement about the health risks of e-cigarettes, since the various studies on the harmfulness of e-cigarettes can thus hardly be compared with each other. This is because some flavorings, such as diacetyl, which has a sweet-butter-like taste, can cause severe respiratory inflammation when inhaled, while other fragrances and preservatives, such as cinnamaldehyde or benzyl alcohol, can trigger contact allergy.
E-cigarette as a good alternative for smokers
In conclusion, it remains to be said that the (permanent) consumption of an electric cigarette is less harmful compared to a classic tobacco cigarette according to the current status. The cancer risk is reduced, moreover, the nicotine content of the liquids can be reduced relatively easily and gradually when steaming, so that the e-cigarette can also be used as a proven means to finally make the jump from the glow stick or nicotine addiction. For smokers, e-cigarettes are certainly a good alternative, but especially for non-smokers or occasional smokers, it is not a harmless lifestyle product, but a product with a potential danger. In addition to nicotine (insofar as it is contained), the heated flavoring substances in the liquids pose a health risk, about whose long-term effects we know too little so far. In addition, individual usage behavior ultimately has a major influence on how harmful an e-cigarette is.