The health impact of e-liquid compared to tobacco
Multiple studies have proven that tobacco is much more dangerous than vaping. The combustion of tobacco produces many toxic substances, including tars and gases such as carbon monoxide, which are absent from e-liquids. Obviously, e-liquids are not devoid of any chemical product that is potentially harmful to health, but analyses of the vapor produced show the absence of the carcinogenic substances present in tobacco smoke.
To preserve your health, it is important to plan to stop vaping once smoking cessation is over. To do this, the dosage of nicotine contained in the e-liquids must be gradually reduced, so that a zero nicotine dose is reached after a while. Once this step has been taken, all that remains is to lose the habit of vaping. It seems easy to say, but every day, many people manage to quit smoking and then nicotine with the help of the electronic cigarette!
Are e-liquids dangerous?
Not all e-liquids are equal, that’s a fact. There has even been a health scandal in the United States due to the sale of dangerous products on the black market, which have led people to hospital. The golden rule is never to buy products on the sly, because you don’t know what’s really in them.
In France, all products sold in online stores and physical stores are controlled. They comply with European and French standards to ensure their quality. Some French e-liquid brands have even opted for additional certifications, providing even more security. The price does not necessarily have to do with the quality of the products. For example, you can find e-liquid that meets French health standards at an affordable price from brands such as Nicovip, Savourea, Pulp or Liquideo.
However, e-liquids containing propylene glycol can cause irritation of the mouth, or even the throat, to people who are very sensitive to them. Allergies to propylene glycol also exist, which leads to caution and the abandonment of e-liquids containing it if the allergy is proven.
There are e-liquids without propylene glycol, which are also called PG-free. More ecological, they are gentler to vape and avoid drying out due to propylene glycol. Many brands offer plant-based e-liquids without PG, such as Bio France E-liquid which manufactures organic e-liquids, with natural flavors.
Do the flavors of e-liquids have an impact on health?
E-liquids with a dessert taste, often called gourmet ones, sometimes get a bad press. This comes from the fact that at the beginning of vaping, these e-liquids contained a rather peculiar substance, diacetyl (3). Diacetyl is an organic compound that was used to give a buttery or caramel flavor to e-liquids. This chemical, while safe when consumed in food, is dangerous when inhaled. As a result, the use of diacetyl in e-liquids was quickly banned in many countries, including France. So-called gourmet e-liquids are therefore no longer problematic and can be consumed without any problem.
Mint e-liquids, on the other hand, are currently in the hot seat. Recent studies have indicated that these e-liquids may emit higher levels of fine particulate matter when vaporized. Fine particulate matter is airborne microparticles that can penetrate deep into the lungs or even the circulatory system and cause a variety of health problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
Mint contains compounds like menthol that, when heated, can break down into more abundant fine particles than those generated by other flavors. Inhaling these fine particles could potentially irritate the respiratory tract, exacerbating pre-existing conditions such as asthma or chronic bronchitis. It is therefore better to opt for a different flavor than mint e-liquid. However, it is better to vape this type of e-liquid than to go back to smoking. The toxicity of e-liquids remains much lower than the toxicity of tobacco!
Which e-liquid is the least dangerous?
There is one type of e-liquid that minimizes the risk of health hazards the most: the one that has no flavor and does not contain any flavor.Opylene glycol. A brand, Végétol, has developed this type of product for e-cigarettes. It is composed of vegetol, an ingredient developed by the Végétol brand to be non-allergenic and non-irritating. The fact that there are no flavourings or additives limits the list of ingredients and therefore the possible substances that are harmful to health.
The flavorless e-liquids of the French brand Végétol are available in several nicotine dosages. It is important to reduce the nicotine level of vaped products to protect yourself. This reduces addiction to nicotine, which is not carcinogenic, but prevents, among other things, proper healing. As nicotine is very addictive, it is in particular what can push people to start smoking again.
It is therefore advisable to lower the nicotine level of e-liquids to vape without nicotine, and preferably without flavoring and without propylene glycol. Once this step has been taken, another step is required: stop vaping. Because even though electronic cigarette products are controlled and there are brands and ranges that are particularly developed to be the best tolerated, it is important to stop vaping. This avoids any health risks, including the risk of resuming smoking. Obviously, this is the ultimate goal to be achieved, to be attempted when nicotine withdrawal is carried out.
