E-cigarettes Vs. Traditional Cigarettes

It's clear that e cigarette use in the UK has taken off. Thanks to developments in the technology involved in vaping and the continual refinement of flavour options - particularly the arrival of premium brands - more and more people are enjoying a vape.

But how does it compare to regular cigarettes, and can it actually help people stop smoking altogether?

The experience

The key difference between vaping and smoking is the substance you inhale. With conventional cigarettes, you take a mouthful of smoke from burnt vegetable material in order to receive the flavours and nicotine contained in the product. With vaping, the nicotine and flavourings are heated as a liquid to give an inhalable mist of propylene glycol - the same chemical used in dance club smoke machines. So in terms of tactile experience, they're fairly similar, and the fact that a vaper can tailor the nicotine level of their e-liquid means that they can get easily get the strength they prefer too.

Dividing opinion

The absence of smoke in e cigarettes makes a big difference. While it will take time for long-term studies to draw an official conclusion, the fact that electronic cigarettes don't give off smoke means that a lot of people are pointing to them as a healthier option. It's also clear that they offer a potential stepping-stone for smokers who are considering quitting. Electronic cigarettes provide a similar tactile experience to smoking, and a wide range of flavours, so they make it easier for smokers not to fall back into old habits.

However, it's worth pointing out that nicotine itself is still a potentially harmful substance. As well as being addictive, it can exacerbate heart conditions, affect bone health, cause artery deterioration, and lead to brain development problems in children and teens. So the message is that ideally, vaping should be a way of reducing nicotine intake. In fact, you'll find that with most premium flavour ranges, there are nicotine-free options. That means that people can enjoy their vaping experience free from this addictive chemical, putting them even closer to forgetting conventional cigarettes altogether.