Is Vaping A Safe Alternative?

[MichaelJH]

Reading the BBC news report (below) it seems probably not. Personally I cannot stand the smell!

bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-can...

[Hidden]

Good morning Michael, I have clearly said that I gave up smoking five years ago and have reeped the benefits since then. However it must be said that vaping did play a large part. I was smoking between 50/60 cigarettes a day which no one would argue is a bad thing. The issue for me was cost and that was very bad. So I changed to vaping cigarettes, not these gadgets that blow smoke as if its from an express train, just electronic cigarettes with the electronics in the white bit and the liquid nicotine in the tip Th experience was satisfying and did help in my substituting cigarettes for this system. Now as far as I am concerned, anything that reduced my intake of cigarettes was a good thing and very soon I did feel a difference. As some time during this experience electronic cigarettes were good, bad and back to good - the fact is no one has done a study or if they have they have quickly realised there are little dangers and if many more change, the result will be in millions of pounds tax being lost. I found there was no smell from the smoke and it went quickly and di not give a room or clothes a horrible smell. I seriously believe vaping is a toll to begin to give up smoking and feel my use of the stuff did exactly that, it broke the spell of nicotine.

People get impassioned about the deadly weed however has anyone heard that it wrecks families, kills people through road deaths, causes deaths at night clubs, or fights at A and E or becomes such a problem, people cannot work - as is possible with alcohol. Alcohol is the biggest killer of people these days where smoking palls into insignificance beside it.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Hidden]

There have been vaping deaths in the US

[Hidden in reply to Dolphin14]

I have this statement from a site that has investigated the claim that vaping can cause harm

" have been using e cigs for 10 years and e cigs have been around for 14 years, but I can't remember even a single death being reported as caused by vaping. I've read about batteries exploding, I read about a child being killed from drinking 100mg PG nicotine solution, but how many children died the same day from drinking the cleaning fluid that mum leaves under the sink? A lot more. That kind of stuff doesn't count"

Having read further, I cannot see any death in the UK from the use of E.Cigarettes.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Hidden]

I'm glad there have been no deaths in the U.K.

I think we have had 5 or 6 here

[Sunnie2day in reply to Dolphin14]

I've read on several UK (where I am) and US feeds (where my adult children and their families live) the vape user deaths in the US are being tentatively linked to cannabis oil derived e-liquid, the stock they think causing the deaths is from a contaminated strain of the oil base.

Also in the US (and Mexico) about three years ago a number of vapers ended up in ER with respiratory problems caused by contaminated e-liquid made in China.

Not to sound smug but UK (and EU) regulations mean in-store and online sales of e-liquids are heavily regulated - as long as the vaper doesn't go off-piste and buy dodgy e-liquid (or batteries, the unregulated ones catch fire and explode, not nice!), the e-liquids here and in Europe are safe.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Glad to hear things are going well in the U.K.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Sorry to hear of your loss...

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

Is it safe? It's hard to know what the answer is to that.

I gave up smoking 30 a day last December after my heart attack. When I came around in ICU one of the first things they did was slap a nicotine patch on my arm. Stuck with the patches for 12 weeks and haven't smoked since.

As an ex-smoker I'm well aware of how difficult it is to break the habit/addition to nicotine. I've tried for years to give up, it was only the shock of a heart attack that made me stop.

Vaping is certainly less harmful that tobacco, it doesn't have all the nasty chemicals that tobacco does, and as an aid to giving up it must be a benefit.

However as a long term replacement for tobacco there hasn't been enough research done, the problem is there can't be detailed research as it requires a large sample of people over a lengthy period of time to be able to arrive at a result that will have some meaning. When that research becomes available we'll probably know the answer, in the meantime I think people should tread with care

[Sunnie2day]

I occasionally use a vape device made here in the UK to UK/EU standards - I gave up a 20 year/20 per day habit in June 2013 and the vape device has made sticking to that much easier - at least once a day I think if I don't have a cigarette my head is going to explode but two or three puffs on the vape device takes the urge away perfectly. I use only UK made e-liquid (and batteries) and so far have no ill effects.

My GP and cardiologist both say they would prefer I use the vape device than give into the urge for 'a real cigarette'.

Re the smell, regulated quality e-liquid doesn't have any smell even when one of the monster devices are being vaped (it's like being next to a steam engine, those devices are meant to create enormous clouds of 'smoke') - but the cheap rubbish bought from unregulated sources has a stench as bad or worse than 'real cigarettes', and it lingers as long as well - yuck!

[Hidden]

Using anything that is not part of safety regulations carryies its own dangers and people to it at their peril, Just as using unregulated E Liquid has its price. I did take advantage of smoking cigarettes of "questionable" origin where some were about as good as you could get and others, no more than floor sweepings. Being slightly cynical I do wonder how much any Government backs giving up a taxable commodity and whether that might be a valid criticism, we will never know. However, one thing is for sure and that is that using a bona fide vaping fluid and equipment is far less dangerous that smoking cigarettes.

My only other observation is with the view people have on smokers - which is usually uncomplimentary. However it is with great affection that I remember my father smoking his beloved pipe and the warmth I used to experience when I could smell the tobacco smoke. Enough romanticism and I do know how obnoxious smelling smoke during a nice meal out so I do understand but putting it into the bigger picture, I loathe drunks far more than any smoker and the havoc they contribute to in hospitals is legion and believe alcohol intake is far more of a concern than any amount of smoking ever will and contributes to more deaths per year and the wrecker of homes and livlihood

[Dolphin14]

Sorry for your loss.

Are you in the US?

[Dolphin14]

We have had some deaths recently in the US

Someone pointed out at the bottom of this thread there were no cases in the U.K.

Was it e cig?

You don't need to answer. You are grieving and I respect that.

Again sorry for your loss.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Here is a case of respiratory failure caused by lipoid pneumonia brought on by vaping reported in the BMJ;

casereports.bmj.com/content...

[Sunnie2day in reply to MichaelJH]

Oh dear, that's not good!

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

I see Donald Trump is planning to ban flavoured e-cigarettes because of these issues. It would be a popular move here for many of us as the smoke and stink should reduce!

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to MichaelJH]

I suspect this is the first time I have agreed with Donald! ☹️