Is Vaping a Healthy Alternative?
- Article
- 2023-09-29
The harmful nature of smoking is undisputed, but what's behind the question of whether vaping is a healthier alternative?
Vape pens or e-cigarettes, small electronic devices that vaporize e-liquids, have entered the market as allegedly less harmful alternatives to traditional cigarettes. This is because when vaping, only the vapor from the e-liquids is inhaled, as opposed to the burned tobacco smoke. The popularity of vapes has increased since 2019, not only among adults but also among young people, partly due to the appealing sweet flavors they offer. In response, legislation introduced a ban on the sale of these flavored vapes by manufacturers on January 1, 2024. [2]
Researchers from Curtin University in Australia examined the contents of 65 vape pens (e-cigarettes) and found that the actual levels of the substances in these e-cigarettes often differed from what was stated on the label. [1] The results showed that e-liquids contained harmful chemicals such as benzaldehyde, menthol, transcinnamaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Furthermore, a small number of supposedly 'nicotine-free' vape pens actually contained nicotine. Propylene glycol and glycerol are common ingredients in these vape pens, and the actual amounts of these were higher than stated on the labels. [2]
Although this study was conducted in Australia on vape pens available in the Australian market, it is likely that these findings also apply to vape pens sold in the Netherlands given the global nature of the market. For example, disposable vape pens are available in the Netherlands from Chinese manufacturers.
In short, if you're looking for an alternative habit to quit smoking, vape pens don't seem to be an ideal choice.
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