In the past, general statements have been made about how using electronic cigarettes could be beneficial to people who smoke combustible cigarettes. Details are now emerging about how specific groups of smokers can benefit from e-cigs. One such group is the people with chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD) and those with asthma. Speaking at Massey University in New Zealand, Professor Polosa revealed that his research has established that sufferers of those two conditions have had the adverse effects of smoking gradually reversed. He therefore finds it unacceptable that some health authorities still maintain a hostile stance towards electronic cigarettes. As more information filters in about vaping, it is becoming increasingly clear that nearly every smoker can have his or her health improve by switching to e-cigarettes.
Month: November 2017
Why Controlled Vaping Studies Often Have Different Results from Observational Studies
Have you ever wondered why the randomized controlled studies on electronic cigarette use often produce different results from the findings of observational studies? A leading e-cigarette researcher advanced some reasons that could explain those discrepancies. This was during a presentation made at the 2017 Electronic Cigarette Summit in the UK. For example, he suggests that controlled trials often show a lesser impact of e-cigs as quit smoking devices because those who have already succeeded in using e-cigs to quit are eliminated as study subjects. This leaves those who are struggling to use the method or those just starting out on their quest to quit smoking as study subjects. Observational studies capture those who have succeeded already in their findings. Similarly, RCTs often have different baseline vaping standards/definitions from the baselines defined by observational studies. It is therefore possible that RCTs underreport the value of switching to vaping when compared to observational studies. This presentation will help you to make sense out of the results of the two kinds of findings that may initially appear contradictory.
Popular e-cigarette liquid flavorings can change, damage heart cells
Some of your favorite e-liquids might have troubling side effects concerning your heart muscle cells, indicates a new research from the University of Louisville based on observations of cells in petri dishes interacting with the compounds.
Apparently, some of the chemicals present in flavors such as clove, citrus and floral were interacting with the heart muscle itself, which could lead to changes in the way the cells function.
These reactions could be quite varied. While the chemicals present in cinnamon e-liquids, for example, could stop cells from moving or contracting, the ones used for the most floral, citrus or clove increased the speed at which those same cells move.
Researchers are puzzled by this and they still are not completely sure of whether these effects stay the same while the e-liquids are heated or not, since most of the compounds remain a mystery.
Some e-cigarrete flavours might be more harmful than others
Not everything that is safe to swallow is safe to inhale. What this means is that certain e-liquids might have more complex chemical compositions in order to achieve flavors such as vanilla, caramel or strawberries.
Sweet or fruity flavoring seems to be more dangerous that your average tobacco or menthol flavors, but toxicity is hard to predict – in fact, most manufacturers never list the products that go into achieving a particular flavor, but only list the regular chemical ingredients required to make a vaporizer-adequate e-liquid. It’s an intelligent decision since the flavor is often what makes a particular e-liquid manufacturer stand out in the crowded market, but it is also a source of frustration for researchers.
Nothing of this means, of course, that inhaling e-liquids are more dangerous than smoking cigarettes, however it would be useful to understand in full what exactly we are consuming to avoid possible health hazards.
Issue #2
Issue #2 – So the first issue was a hit – so follow up with another issue. Typically we’ll be publishing monthly unless we find a good amount of content to share. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you back for issue #3. Update – we fixed our navigation bug – sorry to anyone affected.
Vaping 101: Common mistakes vapers make and how to avoid them
Published: 2017-07-27
Here are some common mistakes for rookie vapers. Even though vaping is healthier than tobacco, you have to learn to use the vaporizers properly before making a final decision over whether or not you rather switch to vaping. The first puff is a good test – if you are puffing it out like a smoker, you will most likely end up coughing are not enjoying vaping at all. Going for the cheapest device instead of one of higher quality is one of the biggest, because a bad vaporizer can ruin your vaping experience and encourage you to go back to cigarettes. Likewise, not knowing how to control the coolness, not maintaining your coil properly or using too little nicotine can really mess up your entire vaporizer and cause you to dislike vaping for reasons of inexperience. Finally, forget to always turn off your vaporizer and do not leave it on while it is in your pocket, draining all your battery and slowly damaging the vaporizer.
Vaping ads flout EU rules, even if to promote healthier lifestyles
Published: 2017-08-16
In the UK, advertisements implying smokers should switch to vaping are being criticized as illegal according to EU’s Tobacco and Related Products Regulations of 2016. The ad in question did not feature the brand of the vaping product, but it could still be considered as an appeal to vaping. Even though vaping products are usually considered to be less harmful than cigarettes, the fear that ads promoting vaping might draw non-smokers to the practice has lead to an intense monitoring of vaping products just like they were cigarettes. However, it is confusing how the UK can promote its Five Year Tobacco Control Plan by “maximising the availability of healthier alternatives to smoking” if vaping companies are unable to advertise their products.
10 Facts That Everyone Gets Wrong About Vaping
Published: 2014-11-19
In order for you to understand what vaping is all about, let’s first knock down some myths: first, vaping devices are not really “e-cigarettes”, if what you are thinking is an electronic device in the shape of a cigarette commonly sold in gas station. They are Advanced Personal Vaporizers, also called Vape Pens – usually disposable and made in China – and Vape Mods, usually made by Western companies and that can last longer, but can also be quite expensive. Secondly, many Vapors use very little nicotine, especially compared to cigarettes. The e-liquids with 6mg vastly outnumber the sales of those with 12mg and above. Usually, people start with a high level and then gradually switch to zero. Thirdly, no matter the intense lobbying from the tobacco industry, vaping really is less harmful to your health according to most studies, with less toxic chemicals being involved. Fourthly, e-liquids are not the devil. If you want to know the three substances that make an e-liquid, here they are: vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol (not to be confused with its harmful cousin diethylene glycol) and pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, which – as we have seen above – can actually not be mixed at all or very little.