Research on e-cigarettes has come leaps and bounds recently, with many experts advocating that they hardly pose a risk – in fact just 5% compared to smoking. However, we know there is still the opinion that e-cigarettes are a mere fad. This completely negates the idea that they are an effective smoking cessation tool, as e-cigarettes have helped 20,000 people in the UK swap smoking for vaping in 2015 alone.
The Impact of E-cigarettes
It’s no secret that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have openly criticised e-cigarettes in the past, but the mere fact that they are now regulating e-cigarettes proves that e-cigarettes are far from just a fad. There’s no doubt that the FDA regulations will stifle innovation in the industry, with as much as 99% of products predicted to go off the market. But it’s a clear sign that if the FDA is regulating the industry, e-cigarettes are here to stay.
While it could be argued that the FDA regulations are aimed at crushing the industry, we know that vaping will survive. In the worst case scenario, innovation will be driven underground or overseas, but in many cases large brands have been preparing for this for some time. Innokin for example, have been sending out newsletters explaining the actions they have been taking over the last three years, such as extensive aerosol testing and consulting their legal team. This is all to ensure they know what products will pass the stringent application process to stay on the market.
Impact on Vaper’s Lives
What those who think that e-cigarettes are a fad ignore is the outstanding impact e-cigarettes have had on vapers’ lives. With a tiny 4% of cold turkey attempts to quit smoking being successful, it’s clear that smokers need help giving up. E-cigarettes have proved to be an incredibly effective tool. They allow smokers to transition to vaping and still get their nicotine fix – if they choose – though in fact many vapers decrease their nicotine usage until they’re vaping on 0% nicotine. It also means users can get a similar sensation to smoking without absorbing the harmful chemicals in cigarettes that are known to decrease life expectancy and cause cancer.
With a massive 863,000 e-cigarette users in the UK no longer feeling the need to smoke thanks to vaping, and a further 720,000 using e-cigarettes to become completely nicotine free, it’s clear the e-cigarette business is booming, and it’s unlikely to disappear any time soon. The statistics are indisputable: a recent FDA funded study actually found that e-cigarette use significantly reduced cigarette smoking.
UK vs US Opinion
The key fact is, the attitude to vaping in the US is largely different to that in the UK. While public health officials in America regard e-cigarettes as a gateway to nicotine addiction and smoking e-cigarettes (though this has been found to not be the case), in Britain, the attitude is that e-cigarette safer way to obtain nicotine, if not quit smoking entirely. In fact, in Britain, e-cigarettes could even be offered on prescription. With an increasing number of influential medical professionals promoting the benefits of e-cigarettes, it’s difficult to see why they would be seen as just a ‘passing fad’.
What the Statistics Tell Us
The statistics alone support the fact that e-cigarettes are an incredibly effective cessation tool, and have changed, if not saved, hundreds of thousands of lives. Despite all the ‘research’ that has concluded that e-cigarettes can harm vapers, there is still no evidence that vaping has directly caused any deaths. That e-cigarettes are so much more beneficial to our health than cigarettes is the reason the industry will last. E-cigarettes do not contain carbon monoxide or tar – two of the most dangerous chemicals in cigarettes. This is one of the main reasons that smokers are twice as likely to suffer heart attacks.
Why Vaping Is Cost-Effective
A massive 20,000 smokers moved from smoking to vaping in 2015 in the UK. The average smoker spends £1,314 a year on their habit. Compare this to those who smoke e-cigarettes; who will spend less than half of that in their first year alone, with increased savings the following year. Vapers are pumping serious money into the e-cigarette industry – enough to ensure that it’s not going to die away.
The ‘Gateway’ Theory
Many argue that e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking cigarettes, or that those who vape will either continue to smoke cigarettes or go back to cigarettes completely. But those who have traded cigarettes for e-cigarettes have found the benefits far outweigh any potential risk. From recovered sense of smell and taste, which smoking is known to dull, to improved respiration – no more dreaded smoker’s cough – it’s unlikely that these individuals would go back to smoking. This alone ensures the survival of the e-cigarette market.
We’ve seen first hand the benefits of vaping over smoking. Not only do we have accounts of those who have successfully quit smoking thanks to e-cigarettes, and in the process added at least 10 years to their lives, research has now backed up these claims. E-cigarettes are far from a mere passing fad. In fact, they’re here to stay.
Author Bio: Pascal Culverhouse
Pascal started Electric Tobacconist Ltd in July 2013 while working on the retail side of the family business Fantastic Fireworks. After proving so popular and successful, he was forced to leave and has found himself with a UK and US presence and seven figure turnover.