Vaping versus cigarettes.
It is good to see those long empty retail units finally being rented out by new business but are the numerous vaping shops that are springing up a good or bad sign?
It is hard to disagree with the fact that vaping is certainly not as risky as smoking but what are the long term health issues?
We have all heard the term ‘Popcorn Lung’, when Diacetyl is added to vaping liquid to improve the taste, but it can cause inflammation and scarring to the lungs and there is currently no treatment for this damage although it seems to be more relevant to the American market. Sounds pretty scary but the argument might be that it is less scary than lung cancer.
It might be reasonable to assume that vaping is a less harmful alternative for a previously long term smoker but what about teenagers who have taken directly to vaping having never smoked a cigarette?
There seems to be an endless list of flavours such as blueberry, apple,vanilla, coffee and, ironically, tobacco. It could be argued that the ever expanding list of tropical flavours lures young people into vaping much the same way alcopops allegedly did with drinking.
‘’ We believe that vaping is at least 96% LESS harmful than smoking but this does not mean vaping is risk free, particularly for people who have never smoked.’ www.gov.uk
Joanne Palmer, a long time smoker who made the change to vaping, said ‘’ I feel so much healthier and better now that I don’t smoke but I have to admit that I do miss cigarettes. My husband Ian still smokes and the temptation to steal one of his cigarettes is always there’.
Joanne talks about vaping and her views on vaping in the following video:
BA Journalism Mature Student at UUC.
